Relatives
Hedysarum vicioides Turcz. - Vetch-like Sweetvetch.
Taxonomic position.
Family Fabaceae Lindl., genus Hedysarum L.Synonyms.
H. esculentum Ldb., H. alpinum var. vicioides B.Fedtsch.Morphology and biology.
Herbaceous perennial plant 50-120 cm tall, glabrous. Root thickened, growing deep in soil. Stipules fused like sheath, leaflets 8-9-paired, linear-oblong, above glabrous, beneath scarcely pubescent at midrib and margins. Peduncles (raceme excluded) nearly as long as leaves, racemes somewhat lax, 15-20 cm long, 10-30-flowered. Calyx glabrous, corolla pale yellow, 10-12 mm long. Pod segments 3-5, finely reticulate, obovate, slightly laterally convex, glabrous. Cross-pollinated entomophilous plant. Flowers and fruits in July. 2n=14.Distribution.
East Siberia. Endemic.Ecology.
In river valleys, meadows, on riverine shingles, in larch and pine forests.Use and economic value.
Forage and food. Roots are eaten both fresh and dried and ground into flour.References:
Yurtsev BA., ed. 1986. Arctic flora of the USSR. V.9, pt 2. Leguminosae. Leningrad: Nauka. 188 p. (In Russian).Shishkin BK., Bobrov EG., eds. 1948. Flora URSS. V.13. P.259-319. (In Russian).
Polozhij AV., Malyshev LI., eds. 1994. Flora of Siberia. V.9. Fabaceae (Leguminosae). Novosibirsk: Nauka. 280 p. (In Russian).
Malyshev LI., Peshkova GA., eds. 1979. Flora of the Central Siberia. V.2. 506 p. (In Russian).
Roskov YR. et al. 2005. ILDIS World Database of Legumes. [Online] Available at: http://www.ildis.org/LegumeWeb?sciname=Hedysarum%20vicioides .