Overview

Comprehensive Description

Description

Herbs (in ours). Stipules present, entire; stipels 0. Leaves imparipinnate with entire leaflets. Flowers in axillary racemes. Calyx with 5 teeth, the upper 2 shorter than the lower 3. Standard glabrous. Upper stamen free, the other 9 united for most of their length. Style glabrous
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Source: Flora of Zimbabwe

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Distribution

Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Astragalus group Purpurascentes :
Afghanistan (Asia)
China (Asia)
Mongolia (Asia)
Pakistan (Asia)
Russian Federation (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.
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Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Astragalus mieheorum Podl. & L.R. Xu:
China (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.
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Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Astragalus densiflorus var. konlonicus H. Ohba, S. Akiyama & S.K. Wu:
China (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.
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Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Astragalus L.:
China (Asia)
Honduras (Mesoamerica)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.
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Localities documented in Tropicos sources

:
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.
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Distribution: Chitral
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Distribution: Endemic to Pakistan (Chitral).
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Physical Description

Morphology

Description

Stem small, c. 2 cm long, internodes 2-3 mm long, covered by appressed white hairs. Leaf imparipinnately compound, petiole 13-17 mm long, white-pubescent, hairs appressed biramous, mostly white. Leaflets 5-11, up to 10 mm long and 3 mm broad, elliptic, entire, obtuse, pilose, hairs white, appressed. Stipules lateral, c. 1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a pedunculate lax raceme, peduncle up to 5.5 cm long, white pubescent. Bracts c. 1 mm long, pubescent. Pedicel 1-1.5 mm long, white-pubescent. Calyx 8-9 mm long, pubescent, hairs white, with a few black hairs, teeth upper 2.5 mm long, lower c. 4 mm long. Vexillum c. 12 mm long. Stigma globular, not penicillate. Fruit linear 16-17 mm long (immature), pubescent, hairs white.
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Description

Perennial, stem acaulescent, glabrous. Stipules lateral, c. 6-7 mm long, appressed hairy to glabrescent, margins ciliate, acute. Leaf verticillately pinnate. Rachis (including petiole) more than 20 cm long, hairs white, spreading; leaflets verticillate, 4-12 in each whorl, linear-oblong to lanceolate, c. 5-12 mm long, c. 2-3 mm broad, covered with spreading hairs on both sides, almost sessile, acute, entire. Inflorescence an axillary, 5-6-flowered raceme, peduncle 3-4 cm long, glabrescent. Bracts linear, c. 5-6 mm long, glabrous, margins ciliate. Pedicel c. 3-4 mm long, glabrous. Calyx c. 10 mm long, glabrous, minutely hairy in upper part, teeth c. 3-4 mm, margins ciliate. Vexillum glabrous. Fruit turgid, c. 15-20 mm long, c. 5-6 mm broad, pubescent, tip acuminate, 8-12-seeded, stipe c. 4-5 mm long.
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Ecology

Associations

Foodplant / gall
Bremiola onobrychidis causes gall of leaf of Astragalus

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / feeds on
Globiceps flavomaculatus feeds on fruit (unripe) of Astragalus
Other: minor host/prey

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Life History and Behavior

Cyclicity

Flower/Fruit

Fl.Per.: July.
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Flower/Fruit

Fl.Per.: June-July.
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Molecular Biology and Genetics

Molecular Biology

Statistics of barcoding coverage

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
                                        
Specimen Records:234Public Records:146
Specimens with Sequences:292Public Species:56
Specimens with Barcodes:258Public BINs:0
Species:70         
Species With Barcodes:68         
          
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Source: Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Barcode data

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© Barcode of Life Data Systems

Source: Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Locations of barcode samples

Collection Sites: world map showing specimen collection locations for Astragalus

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Source: Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Wikipedia

Astragalus

Astragalus (As-trá-ga-lus) is a large genus of about 3,000 species[1] of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names include milk-vetch (most species), locoweed (in western US, some species; although most locoweeds are not genus Astragalus but in related genera)[2] and goat's-thorn (A. gummifer, A. tragacanthus). Some pale-flowered vetches are similar in appearance, but vetches are more vine-like.

Contents

Species

Astragalus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the following case-bearers of the genus Coleophora: C. astragalella (feeds exclusively on A. glycyphyllos), C. cartilaginella (feeds exclusively on Astragalus), C. colutella, C. euryaula (feeds exclusively on Astragalus), C. gallipennella (feeds exclusively on A. glycyphyllos), C. hippodromica (feeds exclusively on A. gombo), C. onobrychiella (feeds exclusively on Astragalus), C. polonicella (feeds exclusively on A. arenarius) and C. vicinella.

Traditional uses

The natural gum tragacanth is made from several species of Astragalus occurring in the Middle East, including A. adscendens, A. gummifer, A. brachycalyx,[3][4] and A. tragacanthus. Also Astragalus propinquus (also known as Astragalus membranaceus) has a history of use as a herbal medicine and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.[5]

Research

The biotechnology firms Geron Corporation and TA Therapeutics of Hong Kong have been working on deriving a telomerase activator from it. The chemical constituent cycloastragenol (also called TAT2) is being studied to help combat HIV, as well as infections associated with chronic diseases or aging.[6] However, the National Institutes of Health states: "The evidence for using astragalus for any health condition is limited. High-quality clinical trials (studies in people) are generally lacking. There is some preliminary evidence to suggest that astragalus, either alone or in combination with other herbs, may have potential benefits for the immune system, heart, and liver, and as an adjunctive therapy for cancer".[7]

In a study published in the 15 November 2008 Journal of Immunology, researchers shed light on the antiviral and antiaging benefits of Astragalus. In their paper, a team of researchers from the UCLA AIDS Institute described how their work with cycloastragenol reduces the aging process of immune cells, and enhances how these cells respond to viral infections. The compound works by boosting production of telomerase, an enzyme that allows for the replacement of short bits of DNA, known as telomeres, that play a key role in cell replication, cancer and human aging.[8]

Supplement use

Extracts of Astragalus membranaceus (syn. Astragalus propinquus) are marketed as life prolonging extracts in humans. A proprietary extract of the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus, called TA-65, 'was associated with a significant age-reversal effect in the immune system, in that it led to declines in the percentage of senescent cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells after six to twelve months of use.'[9] In October 2010, Intertek/AAC Labs, an ISO 17025 internationally recognized lab, found the largest component of TA-65 to be Cycloastragenol.[10] Telomerase activation was feared to pose an increased risk of cancer because telomere shortening is a mechanism that limits cell proliferation. However, short telomeres result in chromosome instability, hence there is also a potential mechanism for telomere lengthening to protect against cancer (as distinct from mutation-induced activation).[11]

Side effects

Astragalus may interact with medications that suppress the immune system, such as cyclophosphamide.[7] It may also affect blood sugar levels and blood pressure.[7] Some Astragalus species can be toxic. For example, several species that grow in the United States contain the neurotoxin swainsonine.[7]

Toxicology

The family of Astragalus has been reviewed by Rios and Waterman, indicating that the toxicities vary from one species to another.[12]

Ornamental use

Several species, including A. alpinus (bluish-purple flowers), A. hypoglottis (purple flowers) and A. lotoides, are grown as ornamental plants in gardens.

Selected species

(See external references)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e This may actually be a valid genus.

References

  1. ^ David G. Frodin (2004). "History and concepts of big plant genera". Taxon 53 (3): 753–776. doi:10.2307/4135449. 
  2. ^ Astragalus (Locoweed) flowers
  3. ^ http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Astragalus+adscendens
  4. ^ "Astragalus brachycalyx Fisch.". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) online database. Retrieved 24 December 2010. 
  5. ^ http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/astragalus-000223.htm
  6. ^ "Herbal chemical helps combat HIV". United Press International. January 1, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2011. 
  7. ^ a b c d Astragalus, NCCAM
  8. ^ S. R. Fauce, et al. (2008). "Telomerase-Based Pharmacologic Enhancement of Antiviral Function of Human CD8+ T Lymphocytes". Journal of Immunology 181 (10): 7400–7406. PMC 2682219. PMID 18981163. Retrieved 2012-08-18. 
  9. ^ Calvin B. Harley, Weimin Liu, Maria Blasco, Elsa Vera, William H. Andrews, Laura A. Briggs & Joseph M. Raffaele (2011). "A natural product telomerase activator as part of a health maintenance program". Rejuvenation Research 14 (1): 45–56. doi:10.1089/rej.2010.1085. PMC 3045570. PMID 20822369. 
  10. ^ American Analytical Chemistry Laboratories Analysis Document #100710-236 of TA-65
  11. ^ Keiko Hiyama, Eiso Hiyama, Keiji Tanimoto & Masahiko Nishiyama (2009). "Role of telomeres and telomerase in cancer". In Keiko Hiyama. Telomeres and Telomerase in Cancer. Cancer Drug Discovery and Development II. Humana Press. pp. 171–180. doi:10.1007/978-1-60327-879-9_7. ISBN 978-1-60327-879-9. 
  12. ^ Rios, J. L.; P. G. Waterman (1998). "A review of the pharmacology and toxicology of Astragalus". Phytotherapy Research 11 (6): 411–418. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199709)11:6<411::AID-PTR132>3.0.CO;2-6. 
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Notes

Comments

This species is closely allied to Astragalus alaicus Freyn in leaf characters but differs in having more leaflets in each whorl and longer leaves.
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