排钱树 pai qian shu

Hedysarum pulchellum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 747. 1753; Desmodium pulchellum (Linnaeus) Bentham; Dicerma pulchel­lum (Linnaeus) Candolle.

Shrubs, 0.5-2 m tall. Branchlets white or gray pubescent. Petiole 5-7 mm; terminal leaflet blade ovate, elliptic, or obo­vate, 6-10 × 2.5-4.5 cm, ca. 2 × as long as lateral leaflets, abax­ially densely pubescent on veins, adaxially sparsely pubescent, lateral veins 6-10 on each side of midvein. Flowers 5 or 6, enclosed by pair of leaflike bracts; bracts orbicular, 1-1.5 cm in diam., both surfaces slightly pubescent, ciliate. Pedicel 2-3 mm, pubescent. Calyx ca. 2 mm. Corolla white or pale yellow; standard 5-6 mm, base attenuate, shortly and broadly clawed; wings ca. 5 × 1 mm, auriculate, clawed; keel ca. 6 × 2 mm, clawed, not auriculate. Pistil 6-7 mm; style 4.5-5.5 mm. Leg­ume ca. 6 × 2.5 mm, slightly constricted on both sutures, usu­ally 2-jointed; articles glabrous or sparsely pubescent and cili­ate. Seed broadly elliptic or nearly orbicular, 2.2-2.8 × ca. 2 mm. Fl. Jul-Sep, fr. Oct-Nov. 2n = 22.

Wastelands on hills, roadsides, sparse forests on mountain slopes; 200-2000 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, S Jiang­xi, Taiwan, S Yunnan [throughout tropical Asia to Australia and New Guinea].

The roots and leaves are used medicinally for reducing fever and as an antiphlogistic and diuretic.