刺枝豆 ci zhi dou

Hedysarum subspinosum Fischer ex Candolle, Prodr. 2: 343. 1825; Eversmannia astragaloides Regel & Schmalhausen; E. hedysaroides Bunge, nom. illeg. superfl.

Shrublets, 10-60 cm tall. Stems ascending, with yellowish gray peeling bark; branches sparsely spreading, with curved acute prickles to 1.7 cm, entirely covered with appressed short trichomes. Stipules lanceolate, basally nearly connate, apex acute. Leaves imparipinnate, 2-8 cm, 7-15-foliolate; petiole short; petiolules ca. 0.5 mm; leaflet blades oblong-elliptic to obovate, 0.5-1 × 3-4 cm, base tapering into petiolule, apex acu­minate. Racemes many flowered, oblong, 7-10 × 3-3.5 cm; pe­duncle elongate; bracts oblong, shorter than pedicels, margin scarious, apex obtuse. Flowers shortly pedicellate; bracteoles 2, at base of calyx, linear, ca. 2 mm. Calyx 4-5 × 2.5-3 mm; teeth lanceolate, apex acute. Corolla purple; standard oblong-obo­vate, 1.2-1.5 × 0.6-0.7 cm, apex retuse; wings lanceolate, 3.5-4 mm, base with elongate oblong auricles. Legume brown, elon­gate, 3-5 cm, curved, tuberculate-granular. Seeds light brown, ovoid, ± flattened, ca. 3 mm, smooth, shiny. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Jun-Jul. 2n = 16.

Sandy steppes, dry meadows; 800-3100 m. N Xinjiang (N and W Junggar Pendi) [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, SE Russia; SW Asia].