Lespedeza thunbergii
Lespedeza thunbergii is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names Thunberg's bushclover, Thunberg's lespedeza, and shrub lespedeza. It is native to the eastern Himalayas, China, Korea, and Japan.
Plant description
This species produces annual stems up to tall and in diameter. They die back completely at the end of the season. The abundant pink to purplish flowers bloom in late summer. The fruit is a legume pod containing black seeds.Varieties
Five subspecies are accepted:- Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. elliptica – eastern Himalayas to central China
- Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. formosa – southeastern China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan
- Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. patens – Japan
- Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. satsumensis – Japan
- Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. thunbergii – central and southern China, Korea, central and southern Japan, and the Ryukyu Islands