Astragalus dahuricus: A Closer Look at This Fabaceae Beauty

Astragalus dahuricus is a plant species belonging to the Fabaceae family, specifically the genus Astragalus. It can be either an annual or biennial herb.

The flowering period is from July to September, while the fruiting period is from August to October. It is native to the northeastern parts of China, among other places.

Morphological Features:

• This plant is either an annual or biennial herb, covered with spread-out, white soft hairs.
• The stem stands upright, can grow up to 80 cm tall, is branched, and has fine edges.
• It has odd-pinnate compound leaves with 11-19 (sometimes 23) leaflets, each 4-8 cm long.
• The petiole is less than 1 cm long.
• The stipules are separate, lanceolate or linear, 4-8 mm long.
• The leaflets are oval, ovate-oblong, or oblong-elliptical, 5-20 mm long, and 2-6 mm wide. They have a rounded or slightly pointed tip and a blunt or nearly wedge-shaped base. The petiolule (leaflet stem) is less than 1 mm long.
• The racemose inflorescence is quite dense, bearing 10-20 flowers and is 3.5-10 cm long. The main flower stalk is 2-5 cm long. Bracts are linear or bristle-shaped, 3-4.5 mm long.
• The calyx is obliquely bell-shaped, 5-5.5 mm long, with a tube 1.5-2 mm long. The calyx teeth are linear or bristle-shaped, with the upper two teeth being shorter and the lower three teeth longer (up to 4 mm).
• The corolla is purple. The standard petal is almost ovate, 12-14 mm long and 6-8 mm wide. The wing petals are approximately 10 mm long, with the blade being curvilinear, about 7 mm long and 1-1.4 mm wide.
• The ovary is stalked, hairy, with a stalk about 1.5 mm long.
• The legume is linear, 1.5-2.5 cm long and 2-2.5 mm wide. It’s beaked at the tip and stands upright, bending inwards, having cross-veins, appearing two-chambered, and contains 20-30 seeds. The fruit neck is short, 1.5-2 mm long.
• Seeds are light brown or brown, kidney-shaped, 1 mm long, approximately 1.5 mm wide, spotted, and smooth.

Distribution:

Astragalus dahuricus is found in Northeast, North, and Northwest China, as well as in Shandong, Henan, and northern Sichuan. It grows on mountain slopes and riverbank grasslands at altitudes of 400-2500 meters. It is also distributed in the former USSR, Mongolia, and North Korea.

Main Value:

The entire plant can be used as fodder. Large livestock, especially donkeys, are particularly fond of it, leading to its nickname as “donkey’s dry ration.”