Relatives

Hedysarum fruticosum Pallas - Shrubby Sweetvetch.

Taxonomic position.

Family Fabaceae Lindl., genus Hedysarum L.

Morphology and biology.

Perennial shrub or semishrub, lignescent, sometimes at the base only. Stems 30-120 cm tall, erect, furcate, adpressedly pubescent. Leaflets in 4-10 pairs, oblong or elliptic, 1.5-3 cm long, 1 cm wide, adpressedly pubescent on both surfaces, greyish, sometimes subglabrous above. Raceme lax, 8-10-flowered, calyx 5 mm long. Corolla pink, 17-20 mm long, purple-violet when dry. Ovary and pods pubescent, sometimes glabrous. Pod segments 2-5, oblong-elliptic, often with thickenings, sometimes with tubercles. Flowers in June, fruits in July. Cross-pollinated entomophilous plant. 2n=16.

Distribution.

Southern Central and East Siberia.

Ecology.

Sandy steppes, fringes of pine forests.

Economic value.

May be used as forage plant. Good feed for horses, and perfect sand-fixing plant.

References:

Polozhij AV., Malyshev LI., ed. 1994. Flora of Siberia. V.9. Fabaceae (Leguminosae). (In Russian).
Fedchenko BA. 1948. Sweetvetch - Hedysarum L. In: Shishkin BK., Bobrov EG., eds. Flora URSS. V.13. P.259-319. (In Russian).

© N.I.Dzyubenko, E.A.Dzyubenko

© Photo by E.A.Dzyubenko
 

Web design —
Kelnik studios