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{{SPlantbox
|genus=Astragalus
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{{Inc|
Astragalus (ancient Greek name of some shrub). Leguminosae. Milk Vetch. Hardy herbs or sub- shrubs, now and then seen in plantings.
Leaves mostly odd-pinnate, sometimes simple: fls. in spikes or racemes, yellow, purple or white; calyx tubular, its teeth nearly equal; petals clawed, the standard erect; stamens in 2 clusters, the anthers similar: pods fleshy, leathery or papery, not much swollen, as they are in the membranous-fegumed Phaca, the nearest relative. —About 1,500 species. Many kinds are cult, in the Old World, but those described below are the only kinds commonly sold in Amer. The loco-weed of the prairies, which is said to poison cattle, is A. mollissimus. For those below and many others, the student is referred to Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora, Nelson's Manual of Rocky Mountain Botany, and Rydberg's Flora of Colorado. The botanical characters arc mostly found in the pods.
Astragaluses prefer a light, porous soil and no shade. The dwarfer kinds may be placed in the front of the border or in the rockery.
Propagation is chiefly by seeds, which germinate slowly, or by careful division in early spring. Many kinds are likely to die if divided or transplanted, as they are mycorrhizal plants, much dependent on a semi- parasitic organism, which is better left undisturbed.
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:''This article is about the plant genus. The [[talus bone]] of the [[ankle]] is also sometimes called the Astragalus.''
:''This article is about the plant genus. The [[talus bone]] of the [[ankle]] is also sometimes called the Astragalus.''
{{Taxobox
{{Taxobox
==Medicinal use==
==Medicinal use==
''[[Astragalus membranaceus]]'', or ''huángqí'' ([[wiktionary:黄|黄]][[wiktionary:芪|芪]], literally "yellow leader"; also called ''běiqí'', [[wiktionary:北|北]][[wiktionary:芪|芪]], literally "northern leader") is a tonic herb originally used in [[traditional Chinese medicine|Chinese medicine]]. It is believed to be a [[galactagogue]], and recent studies show that it may strengthen the human immune system.
''[[Astragalus membranaceus]]'', or ''huángqí'' ([[wiktionary:黄|黄]][[wiktionary:芪|芪]], literally "yellow leader"; also called ''běiqí'', [[wiktionary:北|北]][[wiktionary:芪|芪]], literally "northern leader") is a tonic herb originally used in [[traditional Chinese medicine|Chinese medicine]]. It is believed to be a [[galactagogue]], and recent studies show that it may strengthen the human immune system.
The natural gum [[tragacanth]], which is used in [[pharmaceutical]]s and [[textile]]s, is obtained from ''Astragalus tragacanthus''. It is claimed to help the [[immune system]], and to increase the body's resistance to common [[virus]]es.
The natural gum [[tragacanth]], which is used in [[pharmaceutical]]s and [[textile]]s, is obtained from ''Astragalus tragacanthus''. It is claimed to help the [[immune system]], and to increase the body's resistance to common [[virus]]es.
