Common Name:

General Information

Lespedeza pilosa is a herbaceous perennial plant with slender, decumbent stems 60 - 100cm long[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China, central and southern Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Thickets, waste slopes and grasslands; at elevations up to 1,000 metres in Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang and Zhejiang Provinces[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects, Cleistogamous
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Lespedeza pilosa is native to temperate and subtropical regions of China, experiencing winter temperatures falling to around -15 to -20°c in at least part of its range.
Species in this genus generally grow best in a sunny position but are tolerant of some shade. They grow well in soils of a medium to light nature, tolerating dry conditions and low fertility[]. Established plants are generally more or less drought tolerant[].
The plant produces cleistogamous flowers (closed flowers that produce fertile seed without being pollinated) as well as hermaphrodite flowes that are pollinated by insects, especially bees[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked[, ].

Medicinal

The whole plant is used medicinally for dispelling rheumatalgia, invigorating the stomach, regulating the flow of vital energy, and as a sedative[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow it in spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, mid summer in individual pots in a frame. It can be difficult to get the cuttings through their first winter, it is best to plunge the pots in a bed of ashes in a sheltered border outdoors[].