Abstract: Aimed to understand the growth status and nutrient uptake of leguminous plants under soil copper or cadmium contamination, a pot experiment with Medicago sativa, Trifolium pretense, and Astragalus adsurgens was conducted, with their plant height, root length, plant biomass, and N, P, K, Cu and Cd contents in leaf and stem measured. The application amounts of Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ we
re 0, 400, 800, and 1200 mg·kg^-1, and 0, 1, 10, and 20 mg·kg^-1, respectively. All the test three leguminous plants had strong capability of absorbing Cu and Cd. The Cu and Cd contents in their roots, stems, and leaves, except the Cu content in T. pratense leaf, were significantly positively correlated with the application amounts of Cu²⁺and Cd²⁺ Under the application of Cd²⁺, all the three leguminous plants grew normally. When the application amount of Cu²⁺was ≤1200 mg·kg^-1, T. pratense grew normally, while the growth of M. sativa was significantly inhibited. The growth of A. adsurgens was inhibited when the application amount of Cu²⁺ was ≥ 800 mg·kg^-1. An application amount of ≤1200 mg·kg^-1 of Cu²⁺ promoted the N, P and K absorption of M. sativa, but applying ≤ 800 mg·kg^-1 of Cu²⁺ had little effects on the N, P and K absorption of  T. pretense. The N, P and K contents of  A. adsurgens increased when the application amount of Cu²⁺ was ≤400 mg·kg^-1，but decreased significantly when the Cu²⁺ application amount was ≥800 mg·kg^-1. When the application amount of Cd²⁺ was ≤20 mg·kg^-1, the N, P and K contents in M. sativa and T. pratense stems and leaves and in A. adsurgens stem increased, while those in A. adsurgens leaf decreased. As a whole, the three leguminous plants all had certain tolerance to Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ stresses, especially T. pratense to Cu²⁺ and M. sativa to Cd²⁺.

Key words: Hordeum brevisubulatum, Clone plant, Module, Productivity, Biomass, Age structure