Herb: Roundhead Lespedeza


Latin name: Lespedeza capitata


Family: Leguminosae



Medicinal use of Roundhead Lespedeza:

The plant contains several biologically active compounds. Pharmaceutical preparations are manufactured from them. An extract of the plant is of disputed utility in chronic kidney disease. Experimentally, it has demonstrated antitumor activity against Walker-256 carcinosarcoma and is also reportedly effective in lowering blood cholesterol levels. It is also believed to reduce blood levels of nitrogen compounds in persons with high nitrogen levels in their urine. The root has been used as an antidote to poisoning. The stems have been used in moxibustion in the treatment of neuralgia and rheumatism.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
August to
October

Habitat of the herb:

Dry fields. Sandy open woods or open ground in Texas.

Edible parts of Roundhead Lespedeza:

The leaves have been boiled to make a tea.

Propagation of the herb:

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow it in spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in individual pots in a frame. It can be difficult to get the cuttings through their first winter, it is best to plunge the pots in a bed of ashes in a sheltered border outdoors.

Cultivation of Roundhead Lespedeza:

Dry fields. Sandy open woods or open ground in Texas.

Known hazards of Lespedeza capitata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.