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Astragalus onobrychis

Astragalus onobrychis

Family: Fabaceae Genus: Astragalus Species: onobrychis

Synonyms: Astragalus parvifolius, Astragalus trichocarpus, Astragalus linearifolius, Astragalus pancicii, Astragalus dacicus, Astragalus onobrychis var. ernesti-mayeri, Astragalus pseudohirsutus, Astragalus onobrychis var. chlorocarpus, Astragalus moldavicus, Astragalus onobrychis var. sofianus, Astragalus onobrychis var. rigidus, Astragalus arenarius var. multijugus, Astragalus chaldiranicus, Astragalus borysthenicus, Astragalus onobrychis var. stipulaceus, Astragalus tragoides, Astragalus onobrychis var. stenophyllus, Astragalus onobrychis f. brevifoliatus, Astragalus chlorocarpus f. albiflorus, Astragalus purpurascens, Astragalus hybridus, Astragalus pseudoonobrychis, Astragalus onobrychis var. gilliattii, Astragalus onobrychis f. albiflorus, Astragalus maximus, Astragalus onobrychis subsp. skorpili, Astragalus onobrychis subsp. dacicus, Astragalus onobrychis f. major, Astragalus onobrychis subsp. goktschaicus, Astragalus onobrychis f. kraljevensis, Astragalus chlorocarpus, Astragalus onobrychis subsp. linearifolius, Astragalus onobrychis var. major, Astragalus onobrychis f. moldavicus, Astragalus onobrychis var. maximus, Astragalus onobrychis var. alpinus, Astragalus rasmontii, Astragalus onobrychis var. purpurascens, Astragalus atrocarpus, Astragalus banaticus, Astragalus skorpili, Astragalus rochelianus, Astragalus varnensis, Macrosema onobrychis, Astragalus onobrychis subsp. chlorocarpus, Astragalus onobrychis var. varnensis, Astragalus kitianus, Astragalus onobrychis var. rochelianus, Astragalus kosmaljanicus, Astragalus onobrychis var. banaticus, Astragalus onobrychis subsp. wagneri, Astragalus troizkii, Astragalus onobrychis var. brevifoliatus, Astragalus goktschaicus, Astragalus pseudonobrychis, Astragalus clorocarpus, Astragalus onobrychis subsp. banaticus, Astragalus sofianus, Astragalus onobrychis var. linearifolius, Astragalus onobrychis f. grandiflorus, Astragalus onobrychis f. microphyllus, Astragalus onobrychis var. skorpili, Astragalus onobrychis var. moldavicus, Astragalus onobrychis var. multijugus, Astragalus onobrychis f. leucanthus, Tragacantha onobrychis, Astragalus onobrychis var. albiflorus, Astragalus longiflorus, Astragalus microphyllus, Astragalus onobrychis var. microphyllus

Astragalus onobrychis — flower
Astragalus onobrychis — flower

Botanical Description

Astragalus onobrychis, the sainfoin milkvetch, is a perennial herb in the family Fabaceae widely distributed across central and southern Europe, the Caucasus, and western Asia, where it inhabits dry meadows, calcareous grassland, rocky steppe, and open woodland margins. It grows 20-60 cm tall from a stout taproot, with several ascending to erect, somewhat hairy stems and pinnately compound leaves bearing nine to nineteen narrowly oblong to elliptic leaflets. From late spring into summer, dense terminal racemes of bright purple-violet pea-flowers, 15-22 mm long, are borne on long peduncles well above the foliage, superficially resembling those of true sainfoin (Onobrychis) and giving the species its name. The narrowly oblong pods are erect, hairy, and longitudinally grooved on one face. The species is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental and as a minor forage legume.

Native Region: Albania, Algeria, Altay, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Central European Rus, Czechoslovakia, East European Russia, France, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Krym, North Caucasus, Poland, Romania, South European Russi, Spain, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Ukraine, West Siberia, Yugoslavia

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID
51360

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.