Hedysarum gmelinii
StarHedysarum gmelinii
Synonyms: Hedysarum polymorphum var. subsericeum, Hedysarum rutidocarpum, Hedysarum polymorphum, Hedysarum gmelinii var. lineiforme, Hedysarum obscurum, Hedysarum ibericum, Hedysarum venustum, Hedysarum roseum, Hedysarum altaicum, Hedysarum prostratum
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Russian and Siberian phytomedicine the aerial parts of Hedysarum gmelinii are a source of the xanthone glycoside alpizarin (mangiferin), the active principle of the registered Russian antiviral preparation ‘Alpizarin’, used in tablet and ointment form against herpes simplex and herpes zoster infections of the skin and mucous membranes and against warts; extracts show documented antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity (Useful Temperate Plants; Kicha et al.).
Botanical Description
Hedysarum gmelinii (Fabaceae) is a herbaceous perennial of the sweetvetch genus, producing a cluster of erect to ascending or decumbent stems 15-60 cm tall from a stout rootstock. The leaves are pinnately compound with several pairs of oblong to elliptic leaflets. Pea-like flowers, ranging from pink and purple to violet, are borne in dense elongate racemes on stalks rising above the foliage; as in all Hedysarum the fruit is a flattened, jointed loment that breaks into one-seeded segments rather than splitting open. Belonging to section Multicaulia, it is one of the most widespread sweetvetches of the Eurasian steppe, ranging across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, eastern Siberia, Mongolia and northern China, where it grows in meadows, gravelly slopes and stony steppe at elevations of roughly 800-1,800 m. It fixes nitrogen through root symbiosis and is valued as a productive summer forage.
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.
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