Guang Jing Qian Cao, Coin-leaf desmodium
Desmodium styracifolium
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Desmodium styracifolium is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.8
Where it is found
Mountain slopes, grasslands and thickets at elevations below 1000 metres in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hubei and S Yunnan Provinces.
E. Asia - China.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 2
The whole plant is diuretic and febrifuge. It is used in the treatment of gonorrhoea. A decoction of the plant is used in the treatment of gallstones, urinary tract stones and hepatitis.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Urinary: Treats urinary problems, including urinary tract infection (UTI).
VD: Used in the treatment of venereal disease
Other
Rating:
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Requires a well-drained soil and a sunny sheltered position. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse. Scarify and pre-soak stored seed for 5 hours in warm water then sow March in a greenhouse. The seed usually germinates within 1 - 4 months at 25°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer and consider giving them some protection from frost in their first winter outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in a frame. Division as the plant comes into growth in the spring. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring. Root cuttings in winter.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 0-0
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist