Herb: Common Lespedeza


Latin name: Kummerowia striata


Synonyms: Hedysarum striatum, Lespedeza striata


Family: Leguminosae



Medicinal use of Common Lespedeza:

The whole plant is used medicinally as a diuretic, for reducing fever, and treating diarrhea. A decoction of the plant is used in the treatment of extreme physical debility and swellings. It is boiled with Centella asiatica and Prunella vulgaris for the treatment of dysentery, headache and vertigo. A broth is used to improve the appetite.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
August to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Waste ground and roadsides all over Japan. Clayey, sandy and gravelly soils, riverbanks, roadsides and non-populated areas, always in large quantities.

Edible parts of Common Lespedeza:

Seed - cooked. The seed can be ground into a meal and used with cereal flours in making bread etc. The seed contains 26.4 - 51.9% protein and 4.3 - 7.3% fat. Young plant - cooked. A nutritional analysis is available.

Other uses of the herb:

The plant is fast growing and has an extensive root system. It has been widely used, especially in N. America, for restoring fertility to worn-out soils.

Propagation of Common Lespedeza:

Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and sow in situ in mid spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Waste ground and roadsides all over Japan. Clayey, sandy and gravelly soils, riverbanks, roadsides and non-populated areas, always in large quantities.

Known hazards of Kummerowia striata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.