Astragalus sinicus; milk vetch

Japanese: レンゲソウ(蓮華草) - レンゲソウ（英語表記）Astragalus sinicus; milk vetch

A biennial plant of the legume family, native to mainland China. In Japan, it is cultivated in rice fields, but many have become naturalized. The stem branches out at the base and creeps along the ground. The leaves are odd-pinnate compound leaves 5-10 cm long, alternate, with a pair of stipules at the base of the petiole. There are 4-5 pairs of leaflets, which are ovate, slightly concave at the tip, and thin in texture. In April and May, a long stalk emerges from the base of the leaf, and several reddish purple or white butterfly-shaped flowers grow in a ring at the top. The flowering pattern resembles that of a lotus flower, giving the plant the name "Rengesou," but it is also called "Genge." After flowering, it produces a collective fruit of short cylindrical pods gathered in a radial pattern. The pods ripen black and have a beak-like pointed tip. Root nodule bacteria live symbiotically on the roots, and fix atmospheric nitrogen, so it is used as green manure.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

マメ科の越年草で，中国大陸原産。日本では田地に栽培されるが野生化したものも多い。茎は基部で多数に分枝し地面をはう。葉は長さ5～10cmの奇数羽状複葉で互生し，葉柄の基部に1対の托葉がある。小葉は4～5対あって卵形で先端がややくぼみ，質は薄い。4～5月に，葉のつけ根から長い柄を出し，その頂部に紅紫色または白色の蝶形花を数個輪状につける。この花のつき方をハスの花に見立てレンゲソウの名があるが，ゲンゲとも呼ばれる。花後，短い円柱形の莢が放射状に集った集合果をつくる。莢は黒く熟し先端が嘴状にとがる。根には根粒バクテリアが共生し，空中窒素を固定するので，緑肥として用いられる。

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