Description from
Flora of China
Lespedeza hirtella Franchet, Pl. Delavay. 167. 1890; L. mairei Pampanini.
Shrublets, 0.5-1 m tall. Young branches ± densely ferruginous spreading hairy. Aerial stems annual and coming from axillary or adventitious buds at basal perennial parts of stems, usually with several withered shoots from previous year persistent at base of annual shoots. Petiole 0.1-2 cm, very short on upper leaves, densely ascending or appressed hairy; stipels absent; leaflets deltoid to ovate, terminal one 1-6 × 1-4 cm, abaxially ± densely ascending hairy, adaxially sparsely or ± densely ascending hairy, base cordate, truncate, or rounded, apex retuse and mucronulate. Racemes 4-17 cm, usually paniculate; rachis and pedicels with dense spreading short hairs and glandular hairs. Pedicels 1.5-7 mm. Calyx with ± dense ascending short hairs and glandular hairs; tube 2-2.8 mm; lobes narrowly triangular, 2.5-3.2 mm. Corolla purple; standard elliptic, 13-15 mm, apex obtuse; wings ca. 13 mm, clawed at base; keel incurved, 15.5-17 mm, clawed at base. Ovary narrowly ovoid, ca. 2 mm, shortly appressed hairy; style incurved, ca. 13 mm. Legume obliquely obovoid, 4.5-6 × 3-4 mm, shortly ascending hairy, apex obtuse. Seeds purplish brown, reniform, ca. 3.7 × 2 mm. Fl. Jun-Oct, fr. Oct-Nov.
Thickets, forest margins, streamsides, sparse forests, mountain slopes, sunny grasslands; 900-4100 m. Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [India].