| DESCRIPTION: It is a herbaceous, scandent legume with pinnate leaves and pink-purple flowers. USE: It is very widely grown as a green-manure-cum-forage in central and southern China, usually on rice land too poorly drained to carry a winter crop of wheat. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial usually grown as a winter annual. COMMON NAMES: Chinese Milkvetch, Renge. FURTHER INF: It is a native of China and introduced to Japan. It thrives in well drained soil, is adapted to poorly drained soils but will not thrive if permanently flooded. The soils where it is grown are usually acid to neutral. The main flush of growth is in the spring, with temperatures ranging between 15-25°C. It is in tolerant of winter frosts. |