Climbers robust, with tuber roots. Stems up to 8 m, base ligneous, yellow hirsute all parts. Leaves pinnately 3-folilate; leaflets 3-lobed, rarely entire, terminal one broad-ovate or oblique ovate. Racemes 15–30 cm long. Flowers 2–3 aggregated on nodes. Calyx up to 20 mm. Vexillum suborbicular, 16–18 mm; wings slightly shorter than keel. Corolla purple. Pods long-elliptic, 10–14 cm × 10–13 mm, flattened, brown hirsute.

Antipyretic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic and hypotensive (root)

Plants For A Future
Flora of China

The flowers are used in the treatment of thirst, high fever, abdominal fullness, nausea and vomiting due to alcohol poisoning. The roots are used in the treatment of common colds with discomfort and pain in the neck and back, febrile diseases, diarrhea, diabetes, hypertensive headaches, coronary heart diseases, acute myocardial ischaemia and measles.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 534, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.