Hedysarum tomentosum Thunberg in Murray, Syst. Veg., ed. 14, 675. 1784; Desmodium tomentosum (Thunberg) Can­dolle; H. coriaceum Poiret; H. villosa Willdenow; Lespedeza macrophylla Bunge; L. tomentosa var. globiracemosa S. L. Tung & Z. Lu; L. villosa Persoon.

Subshrubs or perennial herbs, to 1 m tall, densely yel­lowish brown tomentose throughout. Stems simple or branched above. Leaves 3-foliolate; petiole 2-3 cm; leaflets elliptic or ovate-oblong, terminal one 3-6 × 1.5-3 cm, margin slightly in­volute, apex obtuse or emarginate. Racemes terminal or axillary at upper part of stem; peduncle 4-8(-12) cm, stout. Pedicel short. Calyx ca. 6 mm, 5-parted; lobes narrowly lanceolate, ca. 4 mm. Corolla yellow or yellowish white; standard elliptic, ca. 1 cm; wings shorter, oblong; keel subequal to standard. Cleis­togamous flowers in leaf axils of upper stems. Legume obo­void, 3-4 × 2-3 mm, apex shortly acute. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep-Oct.

Arid mountain slopes, grasslands, thickets; below 1000 m except in Xinjiang and Xizang. Widely distributed throughout China [India, Japan, Kashmir, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia].