Lespedeza hirtella Franchet, Pl. Delavay. 167. 1890; L. mairei Pampanini.

Shrublets, 0.5-1 m tall. Young branches ± densely ferrugi­nous spreading hairy. Aerial stems annual and coming from axillary or adventitious buds at basal perennial parts of stems, usually with several withered shoots from previous year persis­tent at base of annual shoots. Petiole 0.1-2 cm, very short on upper leaves, densely ascending or appressed hairy; stipels ab­sent; leaflets deltoid to ovate, terminal one 1-6 × 1-4 cm, abax­ially ± densely ascending hairy, adaxially sparsely or ± densely ascending hairy, base cordate, truncate, or rounded, apex retuse and mucronulate. Racemes 4-17 cm, usually paniculate; rachis and pedicels with dense spreading short hairs and glandular hairs. Pedicels 1.5-7 mm. Calyx with ± dense ascending short hairs and glandular hairs; tube 2-2.8 mm; lobes narrowly trian­gular, 2.5-3.2 mm. Corolla purple; standard elliptic, 13-15 mm, apex obtuse; wings ca. 13 mm, clawed at base; keel incurved, 15.5-17 mm, clawed at base. Ovary narrowly ovoid, ca. 2 mm, shortly appressed hairy; style incurved, ca. 13 mm. Legume obliquely obovoid, 4.5-6 × 3-4 mm, shortly ascending hairy, apex obtuse. Seeds purplish brown, reniform, ca. 3.7 × 2 mm. Fl. Jun-Oct, fr. Oct-Nov.

Thickets, forest margins, streamsides, sparse forests, mountain slopes, sunny grasslands; 900-4100 m. Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yun­nan [India].