Hedysarum striatum Thunberg in Murray, Syst. Veg., ed. 14, 675. 1784; Lespedeza striata (Thunberg) Hooker & Arnott; Microlespedeza striata (Thunberg) Makino.

Herbs, diffuse or prostrate. Stem and branchlets with downward-pointing white hairs. Stipules ovate-oblong, 3-4 mm, longer than petiole, striate, long ciliate; petiole 1-2 mm; leaflets obovate, narrowly obovate, or oblong, terminal one 0.6-2.2 cm × 3-8 mm, lateral veins dense, base nearly rounded or broadly cuneate, apex rounded, rarely emarginate. Flowers 1-3 in upper axils of leaves. Pedicel ca. 1 cm, glabrous; brac­teoles 4, attached to proximal part of calyx, 1 very small brac­teole placed at article of pedicel, others larger. Calyx 5-lobed. Corolla 5-6 mm; standard elliptic, base attenuate, clawed, au­riculate; keel subequaling or slightly longer than standard; wings slightly shorter than keel. Legume orbicular or ob­ovoid, slightly compressed, 3.5-5 mm, ca. 2 × as long as ca­lyx or slightly longer, pubescent, apex mucronate. Fl. Jul-Sep, fr. Aug-Oct. 2n = 22*.

The whole plant is used medicinally as a diuretic, for reducing fever, and for treating diarrhea. It is also used for forage and green manure.

Sandy soils, streamsides, roadsides, grasslands; below 500 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, ?Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [India, Japan, Korea, E Russia, Vietnam; naturalized in SE United States].