| Hedysarum hedysaroides | |
|---|---|
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| Flowers of Hedysarum hedysaroides subsp. hedysaroides at the Giardino Botanico Alpino Chanousia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Hedysarum |
| Species: | H. hedysaroides |
| Binomial name | |
| Hedysarum hedysaroides (L.) Schinz & Thell. | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
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Hedysarum hedysaroides, common name alpine sainfoin, is a perennial herb belonging to the family Fabaceae.
Hedysarum hedysaroides grows to 20–60 centimetres (7.9–23.6 in) in height. It is a perennial plant, with straight or ascending stems and imparipinnate leaves, 1–3 cm long. Inflorescences bear from 15 to 30-35 purple-violet flowers in clusters. The flowering period extends from June to August. [2] [3]
This species can be found in Central and Southern Europe, in Finland, Russia, Ukraine and Western North America. [4] It occurs in alpine meadows at an elevation of 1,600–2,500 metres (5,200–8,200 ft) above sea level. [3]