Sophora viciifolia

Hance

Wolf-teeth spines

Fabaceae Edible: Flowers 72 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A shrub. It loses its leaves during the year. It is 1-2.5 m high. The branches are stiff. The bark is reddish-brown. The small branches are short and have spines. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. There are 11-21 leaflets. They are narrowly oval and 5-12 mm long and 4-5 mm wide. The flowers are white with a blue tinge. The fruit are pods 3-6 cm long. They are constricted between the seeds. There are 1-7 seeds.

Edible Uses

The flowers are eaten.

Distribution

It grows on sandy, sunny hillsides between 1,000-1,500 m altitude in China.

Where It Grows

Asia, China,

Notes

There are about 50 Sophora species.

References (2)

Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 1725
Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 484