Hedysarum scoparium, also known as flower stick, is a deciduous shrub belonging to the Fabaceae family. It is also referred to as slender-branched Hedysarum, huazi chai, huada jie, huachai, huayangzi, huamao, and niuweishao. It is cold-resistant, drought-tolerant, wind-resistant, and thrives in sandy environments, particularly in desert habitats. It grows rapidly, with dense foliage and strong sprouting ability, thanks to its well-developed root system. The stems are erect and highly branched, with grayish-green linear to lanceolate leaves. The leaves are either sessile or nearly sessile, with a pointed apex, a wedge-shaped base, and a surface covered in short, soft hairs or sometimes hairless. The inflorescence is a raceme borne in the leaf axils, with a few flowers. The bracts are ovate, and the calyx is bell-shaped, with upper teeth slightly shorter than the lower ones. The corolla is purplish-red, with a banner petal that is inverted ovate or inverted elliptic and wings and keel petals that are linear, usually slightly shorter than the banner petal. The ovary is linear, and the fruit is a broadly ovoid pod with seeds that are rounded and kidney-shaped, light brown, and smooth. It flowers from June to September and fruits from August to October.

Hedysarum scoparium is distributed in northern Xinjiang, eastern Qaidam Basin in Qinghai, Hexi Corridor in Gansu, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia in China. It is also found along the Irtysh River in Kazakhstan and in southern Mongolia. It grows in sandy dunes or sandy areas in semi-deserts and in sandy areas in front of desert foothills and gullies. This species is an excellent sand-fixing plant and is commonly used as a sand-fixing tree species in the northwest region of China. It can be directly sown or broadcasted for afforestation purposes. The tender branches and leaves are excellent fodder, favored by camels and horses. The wood is durable and highly combustible, making it suitable for firewood and charcoal production. The flowers serve as a valuable source of nectar, and the seeds are high-quality feed and oil crops.

Morphological Characteristics:

Hedysarum scoparium is a semi-shrub that reaches a height of about 80-300 centimeters. The stems are erect and highly branched, with young branches being green or pale yellow-green and sparsely covered in long, soft hairs. The stem bark is shiny yellow and peels off in fibrous strips. The stipules are ovate and lanceolate. The brownish dry membranous stipules are about 5-6 millimeters long, fused at the base, and easily shed. The lower leaves on the stem typically have 7-11 leaflets, while the upper leaves usually have 3-5 leaflets, and the uppermost leaf axis is either completely without leaflets or only has one terminal leaflet. The leaflets are grayish-green, linear to lanceolate, 15-30 millimeters long, 3-6 millimeters wide, sessile or nearly sessile, with a sharply pointed or acute apex, a short pointed tip, a wedge-shaped base, and a surface covered in short, soft hairs or sometimes hairless. The backside of the leaflets is densely covered in long soft hairs.

The raceme inflorescence is axillary, extending conspicuously beyond the leaves, and the peduncle is covered in short soft hairs. There are few flowers, each about 15-20 millimeters long, spreading or reflexed, and sparsely arranged. The bracts are ovate, about 1-1.5 millimeters long, with flower stalks measuring 2-3 millimeters. The calyx is bell-shaped, about 5-6 millimeters long, covered in short soft hairs, with calyx teeth two-thirds the length of the calyx tube, and the upper teeth are slightly triangular and shorter than the lower teeth. The corolla is purplish-red, with an inverted ovate or inverted elliptic banner petal, 14-19 millimeters long, bluntly rounded and slightly concave at the tip, linear wing petals about half the length of the banner petal, and the keel petals usually slightly shorter than the banner petal. The ovary is linear and covered in short soft hairs.

Hedysarum scoparium is a semi-shrub that can grow up to 80-300 cm in height and highly branches. The stem is deep yellow and often peels off in fibrous strips. The young branches are green or yellowish-green, with longitudinal grooves and sparsely flat soft hairs. The leaves are pinnately compound, with a few leaflets on the upper part of the stem and 7-11 leaflets on the lower part. The stipules are ovate-lanceolate, relatively small, and covered with flat soft hairs, which fall off early. The leaflets are lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 15-30 mm long, 3-6 mm wide, with an acuminate or acute apex, grayish-green in color. The inflorescence is racemose and axillary, with the peduncle longer than the leaf. The flowers are small, scattered, and purplish-red, about 15-20 mm long. The fruit is a pod with 2-4 segments, and the segments are inflated on both sides, nearly broadly ovoid, with distinct reticulations and dense white woolly hairs. It flowers from June to September and fruits from August to October.

Growth Habits:

Hedysarum scoparium is a sand-loving, drought-tolerant, and light-loving tree species. It is suitable for sandy environments, prefers to be buried in sand, and has strong resistance to wind erosion, extreme cold, and heat. It has lush foliage and strong sprouting ability, making it highly effective in windbreak and sand fixation. It grows in semi-fixed sand dunes and shifting sand dunes in desert areas, often forming small clusters on the leeward slopes of sand dunes, and it is a dominant species in desert vegetation.

Geographical Distribution:

Hedysarum scoparium is a plant species found in the desert and semi-desert regions of central Asia. In China, it is mainly distributed in provinces such as Gansu, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang, including the Badain Jaran Desert, Tengger Desert, and Hexi Corridor. Its distribution extends westward to the Gurbantunggut Desert in the vicinity of 87° E. The Badaojiang Desert is the center of its distribution. It also has distribution in the sand dunes along the Irtysh River in Kazakhstan and the southern part of Mongolia.

Main Uses:

Hedysarum scoparium is an excellent fodder semi-shrub with high nutritional value. The tender stems and branches can be used as high-quality protein and vitamin supplements for livestock and poultry, promoting the growth of young animals and increasing milk production in lactating animals. It exhibits strong resistance to adversity, including drought, salt-alkali tolerance, and the ability to withstand wind erosion and burial in sand, making it suitable for sand fixation and afforestation. Hedysarum scoparium is a pioneer plant for sand fixation in natural distribution areas in the northwest of China. It is one of the best shrub species for sand fixation afforestation in desert, semi-desert, and dry grassland regions.

   

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