Astragalus

Glacier Astragalus ( Astragalus frigidus )

Astragalus ( Astragalus ) is a plant genus in the subfamily of the Fabaceae ( Faboideae ) within the legume family ( Fabaceae ). With about 1600 to 3000 species, it is the largest genus within the vascular plants. It is distributed over most of the northern hemisphere ( Holarctic ). Some species from the thickener tragacanth is obtained.

• 5.1 Notes and references

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Astragalus species are annual to perennial herbaceous plants or subshrubs to shrubs. In Central Europe, all species are perennial, herbaceous plants with woody rhizome. Some species are spiny. The aboveground plant parts are hairy or glabrous; the white or black hairs ( trichomes ) are basifix and simple or symmetrical or asymmetrical and biramose ( like a compass needle ).

The alternate arranged leaves are pinnate or unpaired, the Central European is always unpaired. Rarely, the leaflets are lively on the petiole. The leaflets are entire. The green or membranous stipules can be free, adherent to the petiole or grown together; they have the edge often tiny, almost sessile glands.

Inflorescences and flowers

Page Constantly Blütenstandsschäften or sitting are few to many flowers in capitate, racemose or aged men inflorescences densely or loosely arranged. The relatively large bracts often have tiny, almost sessile glands. There are sometimes bracts present. Flower stems are clearly missing, or almost.

The hermaphrodite, zygomorphic flowers are fünfzählig double perianth. The five bare or rarely hairy sepals are tubular or bell-shaped fused with five equal to unequal calyx teeth, which are usually hairy inside. The corolla has the typical shape of the butterfly flower. The five free petals are white, yellow, violet or purple, long, rarely nailed short. The usually more or less clearly nailed flag has a mostly ausgerandetes, rare rounded upper end. The most narrow wings are auriculate. The boat is dull. The top of the ten stamens is usually free. The anthers are all the same. The seated or pedunculated, single ovary usually contains many ovules. The pens are rare hairy below or at the scar. The scars are usually bald.

Fruit and seeds

The depending on the nature very different legumes are bald or hairy, bloated, mostly keeled on the bottom and grooved on the top, unilocular or by a false septum partially or completely zweifächrig; they contain several seeds. The pericarp is membranous, leathery or hard sometimes, then the fruit appears nutty. The durable sepals are sometimes inflated to the fruit time.

The usually relatively small seeds are hard and round, lens-shaped, kidney-shaped or kidney - shaped and have a right angle in some species appendage ( estrophiolat ).

Flowers and dispersal ecology

The flowers are pea- flowers and have a simple folding mechanism. Wings and keel are articulated. Bumblebees and other langrüsselige Apoiden are the most common pollinators in the mountains even butterflies. In Astragalus frigidus self-pollination can occur.

The in some species the inflated pulses can be spread by the wind. For other kinds of animals are attracted to the spread ( endozoochory ). The exact mechanism is not known spread of many types.

Systematics and distribution

The genus Astragalus was erected in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, Volume 2, Impensis Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae 1753, p 755. Astragalus L. christianus 1905 was set by Per Axel Rydberg as lectotype species. Synonyms for Astragalus L. are: Acanthophaca Nevski, Aragallus Neck. ex Greene, Astenolobium Nevski, Astracantha Podlech, Atelophragma Rydb., Barnebyella Podlech, Batidophaca Rydb., Biserrula L., Brachyphragma Rydb., Cnemidophacos Rydb., Contortuplicata Medik., Cryptorrhynchus Nevski, Ctenophyllum Rydb., Cystium Steven, Didymopelta rule & Schmalh. , Diholcos Rydb., Diplotheca Hochst., Geoprumnon Rydb., Gynophoraria Rydb., Hamosa Medik., Hedyphylla Steven, Hesperastragalus A.Heller, Hesperonix Rydb., Holcophacos Rydb., Homalobus Nutt., Jonesiella Rydb., Kentrophyta Nutt., Kiapasia Voronov ex Grossh. , Lonchophaca Rydb., Microphacos Rydb., Mystirophora Nevski, Neodielsia Harms, Oedicephalus Nevski, Onix Medik., Ophiocarpus ( Bunge) Ikonn. , Orophaca ( Torr. & A. Gray ) Britton, Oxyglottis ( Bunge) Nevski, Phaca L., Phacomene Rydb., Phacopsis Rydb., Pisophaca Rydb., Poecilocarpus Nevski, Pterophacos Rydb., Sewerzowia rule & Schmalh. , thium Steud. , tragacanth million and Xylophacos Rydb.

The center of the distribution lies in Eurasia. The genus is also found in North and South America as well as in tropical Africa.

The generic name Astragalus has been used in ancient times as a plant name. He belongs to the Greek word astragalos for " cervical vertebrae, talus and derived cubes." It is possible that the name refers to the shape of the seed.

The genus Astragalus belongs to the subtribes of the tribe Astragalinae Galegeae in the subfamily of the Fabaceae ( Faboideae ) within the legume family ( Fabaceae ).

She is one of the most species-rich angiosperm genera and comprises 1600-3000 species. Approximately 2,500 species occur in the New World in the Old World and about 500 species. Approximately 400 species in 59 sections there are in China, of which about 221 are only there before. They thrive in almost all regions of the northern hemisphere.

Gontcharov has divided the genus into nine subgenera:

• Subgenus Phaca with 19 sections ( in North America )
• Subgenus Caprinus with 17 sections
• Subgenus Hypoglottis with three sections ( in North America )
• Subgenus Trimeniaeus with 13 sections ( in North America )
• Subgenus tragacanth with three sections
• Subgenus Cercidothrix with 31 sections ( in North America )
• Subgenus Calycophysa with nine sections
• Subgenus Calycocystis with seven sections
• Subgenus epiglottis with a section

In addition to the above four subgenera are in North America following groups, which were described by Barneby as " phalanx ":

• Subgenus Homalobi with 46 sections and 194 species
• Subgenus Piptolobi with 35 sections and 192 species
• Subgenus Orophaca with two sections and seven species

In South America, there are over 100 species that are not included in the above classifications.

In Europe there are 127 species, of which the following occur in Central Europe:

In Germany and Austria occurring:

• Alpine Astragalus ( Astragalus alpinus L.)
• Sand Astragalus ( Astragalus arenarius L.)
• Southern Astragalus ( Astragalus australis (L.) Lam. )
• Chickpea Astragalus ( Astragalus cicer L.)
• Danish Astragalus ( Astragalus danicus Retz. )
• Ground - tragacanth, tragacanth Stemless ( Astragalus exscapus L.)
• Glacier tragacanth, cold tragacanth ( Astragalus frigidus (L.) A. Gray )
• Freshwater tragacanth, bear pepper ( Astragalus glycyphyllos L.)
• Esparsetten - tragacanth, long Flags tragacanth ( Astragalus onobrychis L.)
• Hanging tragacanth, bladder tragacanth ( Astragalus penduliflorus Lam. )

In addition, in Austria ( and South Tyrol) occurring:

• Rau - Astragalus ( Astragalus asper Jacq. )
• Austria - Astragalus ( Astragalus austriacus Jacq. )
• Sun - tragacanth ( Astragalus depressus L.)
• Purple Astragalus ( Astragalus hypoglottis L.)
• Lienz - Astragalus ( Astragalus leontinus Wulfen )
• Montpellier- Astragalus ( Astragalus monspessulanus L.)
• Norway - Astragalus ( Astragalus norvegicus Weber)
• Dorn tragacanth ( Astragalus sempervirens Lam. )
• Furrow Astragalus ( Astragalus sulcatus L.)
• Bubble gum tragacanth ( Astragalus vesicarius L.)

Other European species:

• Astragalus alopecurus Pall.
• Astragalus angustifolius Lam.
• Astragalus austroaegaeus Rech.f.
• Astragalus L. boeticus
• Astragalus depressus L.
• Astragalus echinatus Murray
• Astragalus epiglottis L.
• Hook Astragalus ( Astragalus hamosus L.)
• Astragalus idaeus Bunge
• Astragalus nummularius Lam.
• Sägehülse ( Astragalus pelecinus (L.) Barneby; Syn: Biserrula pelecina L.)
• Astragalus peregrinus Vahl
• Astragalus Sinaiticus Boiss.
• Marseille- Astragalus ( Astragalus L. tragacanth, syn: A. massiliensis (Mill.) Lam. )

Non-European Old World species:

• Astragalus friederikeanus Kit Tan & Timel. ( Southern Turkey ).
• Astragalus mongholicus Bunge

New World species:

• Astragalus arequipensis bird ( northern Chile ).
• Astragalus crassicarpus Nutt. ( North America).
• Astragalus phoenix Barneby (Nevada, USA)

Medicinal plant

The root of Astragalus mongholicus, better known under the synonym of Astragalus membranaceus, is among the 50 most important drugs of traditional Chinese medicine, where it is conducted under the name of Huang Qi (黄芪).

Documents

• Siegmund Seybold (ed.): Schmeil - Fitschen interactive. CD -ROM, Version 1.1, Quelle & Meyer, Wiebelsheim 2002, ISBN 3-494-01327-6.
• Xu Langran, Dietrich Podlech: Astragalus. In Wu Zheng -yi, Peter H. Raven, Deyuan Hong (eds.): Flora of China. Volume 10: Fabaceae, Science Press / Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing / St. Louis 2010, ISBN 978-1-930723-91-7, pp. 328-329. , PDF file online.
• Dietrich Podlech: Thesaurus Astragalorum. Index of all taxa within the genus Astragalus L. Described and other genera but BELONGING to the genus Astragalus. Taxa of the Old World and related taxa of the New World. Munich 2011, PDF file, retrieved on January 5, 2013.