| DESCRIPTION: It is a tall, deep-rooted, scandent, herbaceous legume which may reach 1.5 metres in height. Its leaves are pinnate and flowers usually blue to bluish purple. USE: It is used as a fodder and is usually cut for hay or silage. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: North China Milkvetch, Standing Milkvetch. FURTHER INF: Synonyms: Astragalus fujisanensis Miyabe & Tatew, Astragalus longispicatus Ulbr. It occurs naturally in Northern China, Japan, Korea and Mongolia and in N. America in Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and the northern parts of the USA and Canada. It can be grown on poor soils, withstands drought and very cold winters but requires a hot growing season. It prefers well-drained soils of high pH and survives on low rainfall, from 300 mm per year, but uses a great deal of the available moisture. |