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Fam:   Leguminosae Juss. (Fabaceae)
Genus:   Astragalus L.
English Name: Milkvetch, Locoweed

Description:

Perennial and annual grassy plants or small shrubs complex imparipinnate or, more rarely, pair- cirrus leaves; leaf axis on top sometimes with spines. Leaflets entire and obscure lateral veins. Stipule free or fused with leaf stems. Inflorescences cluster, sessile or with stem located in the bosom of the leaves, elongated or compact heads. In some types the flowers are single, go directly from the rhizome. The flowers of bracts, sometimes with little bracts or without bracts. Pipe-like calyx, bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, in some species BLISTER swollen in the fetus, with short teeth and not very sharp dorsal edges. Corolla consists of 5 petals, sometimes lower four fused together; violet purple, pink, yellow or whitish, usually with close flag, narrow wings and dull, as long as they or shorter keel. Stamens 10 two fraternities, very rarely 5 a brotherhood. Pistils highly volatile, sessile or with stems, single station or two-well (split lengthwise into two slots due to the increase in internal false barrier). Bars and stigmas naked. Beans burst is erratic in shape and size, naked or covered with hairs or fibers. Seeds kidney, single or many. Insects pollinating be propagated by seed and cuttings.

Economic importance. Most valuable protein-rich forage, some honey or enhance soil.

Table for determining the species 1    Bushes and subshrubs. Leaves pair cirrus; leaf axis ends at the end with a hard, sharp thorn or early drop off leaflet .............................................. 2 1* Annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous plants. Leaves imparipinnate; leaf axis ends with a leaflet ....................................................................... 4 2   Hairs on the leaves and stems bipartite attached in the middle of their ............................................................................ 19. - A. angustifolius Lam. 2* Hairs  on the leaves and stems simple attached at the base .................................................................................................................................... 3 3   In flower leaflets are missing or much shorter than the skirt and less fibrous. Calyx shorter than 10,0 mm. Leaflets thick fibrous ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 14. - A. aitosensis Ivanisch. 3* In flower leaflets almost as long calyx, at most 2 times shorter and also like her fiber. Calyx 10.0 mm or more debt ........... 15. - A. thracicus Griseb. 4     Annuals plants with weak stems thin. Sterile shoots during flowering missing ......................................................................................................... 5 4* Perennial plants with more or less erect stems; during flowering sterile shoots ……..................................................................................…........... 7 5    Nap on the leaves and stems split, attached in the middle ........................................................................................................... 4.– A. hamosus L. 5* Most of the hairs on the leaves or stems simple, unbranched attached at the base ................................................................................................... 6 6   Inflorescences on clear stems. Beans more or less arched or curved ring, flattened, black ................................................ 1. - A. contortuplicatus L. 6* Inflorescences subsessile. Beans right, not black ....................................................................................................................... 3 - A . sesameus L. 7    Most nap simple, unbranched, attached basically .................................................................................................................................................. 8 7* Part of the nap on the leaves and stems bipartite attached in the middle or divided by its base (sometimes one shoulder much shorter or missing) ... 23 8   Plants with no or little developed aboveground stems. Flower stems or inflorescence axes come straight from the leaf rosette .................................. 9 8* Plants with well developed aboveground stems. Leaves separated by visible attached internodes ....................................................................... .. 14 9   Calyx in beans BLISTER heavily swollen and not wider than 15.0 mm. Flag 35.0 - 45.0 mm long ..................................... 16. -A.physocalix Fisch. 9* Calyx in beans is not BLISTER swollen and is not wider than 15.0 mm. Flag shorter than 35.0 mm ......................................... ............................ 11 10 Plants usually fitting white fibrous when dry ………….............................................................................................................. 6. - A. depressus L. 10* Plants usually with outstretched pale brown hairs when dry ................................................................................................................................ 12 11    A flag on the back of hairs (19.0) 23.0 - 30.0 mm long. Calyx 12.0 - 25.0 mm long  ........................................................................................ 13 11* A flag on the back naked ...................................................................................................................................................... 13. - A. exscapus L. 12   Plants with developed stem above ground. Flower stems 1.0 - 1.5 mm long. Flag 17.0 - 21.0 mm long ........................... 11. - A. dasyanthus Pall. 12* Plants without developed stem above ground, but woodened highly branched rhizomes. Flower stems 3.0 - 6.0 mm long. Flag 23.0 - 30.0 mm long ................................................................................................................................................................................................12. - A. pubiflorus DC. 13    The calyx is retained in the beans and BLISTER swollen. Corolla in beans remains ........................................................................................... 14 13* The calyx is retained in beans, but not swell. Corolla in beans is not retained ...................................................................................................... 15 14   The teeth of the calyx shorter than 1/2 of the length of the tube of the calyx. Inflorescences on stems ..................................... 17. - A. ponticus Pall. 14* The teeth of the calyx longer than 1/2 of the length of the tube of the calyx. Inflorescences sessile ............................. 18. - A. centralpinus Br. - Bl. 15    Corolla  monochromatic, equally tinged, yellow, or whitish yellow, greenish ………......................................................................................…. 16 15* Corolla dichromatic, yellow and partially violet or purple, rarely white ................................................................................................................ 22 16   A flag at least 17.0 mm long .............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 16* A flag shorter than 17.0 mm ........................................................................................................................................................................ ..... 18 17 A flag on the back fiber ............................................. ......................................................................................................................................... 21 17* A flag on the back bare. Beans straight, weak, wrinkled, with straight, short beak ...................... ...................... 2. - A. haarbachii Sprun. ex Boiss. 18   The above stipule fused. Beans ovoid to spherical ........................................................................................................................... 5. - A. cicer L. 18* The above stipule non-adhering, free. The bean is not egg-shaped or spherical ……...................................................................................….... 19 19    Stipule 15.0 - 25.0 mm long. Calyx 5.0 - 6.0 mm in length, nude or with black hairs only teeth ........................................... 8. - A. glycyphyllos L. 19* Stipule 10.0 - 15.0 mm long, free or fused. Calyx 6,0 - 8.0 mm long, on both sides densely fibrous .................................................................... 20 20   Leaflets atop dumb, lower stipule more than half fused ................................................................................................ 9 - A. glycyphylloides DC. 20*  Leaflets atop short-pointed, lower stipule almost to the base free .................................. ............................................... 10. - A. fraxinifolius DC. 21    Plants with above-ground stem. Flag 17.0 - 21.0 mm long ……..................................................................................... 11. - A. dasyanthus Pall. 21* Plants without stem above ground, but with a strong rhizome ….................................................................................….... 12. - A. pubiflorus DC. 22 (15 *) Pistils and young beans naked .............................................................................................................................. 7. - A, australis (L.) Lam. 22* Pistils and young beans fibrous, Calyx shorter than 7.0 mm, flag shorter than 16.0 mm ....................... .................................... 6. - A. depressus L. 23 (7) Lint on the leafs curling and spread. The teeth of the calyx half shorter than the tube of the calyx. Beans goal .. 23. - A. wilmottianus Stoj. et Stef. 23* Lint on the leaves more or less straight, close ..................................................................................................................................................... 24 24   Flowers hanging .................................................................................................................................................................... 6. - A. depressus L. 24* The flowers spread to errect .............................................................................................................................................................................. 25 25   Without stem or almost without stem plants with side shoots. Inflorescences come straight from the leaf rosette ................................................... 26 25* Plants with well developed ground stems and clear internodes ............................................................................................................................ 28 26   Inflorescences subsessile ............................................................................................................................................. 23. - A. wilmottianus Stoj. 26* Inflorescences with well developed handles ........................................................................................................................................................ 27 27   Leaves with (8) 10 - 20 pairs of leaflets. Flag 20.0 - 30.0 mm long ....................................... .................................... 24. - A. monspessulanus L. 27* Leaves with 3 - 8 (12) pairs of leaflets. Flag over 19.0 mm long ........................................................................................ 25. - A. spruneri Boiss. 28   Stipule fused together covering its stem ............................................................................................................................... 22. - A. onobrychis L. 28* Stipule free each other ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 29   Calyx 2.0 - 4.0 mm long. Flag is not more than 12.0 mm long ...................................... ... ............................................... 21 - A. austriacus Jacq. 29* Calyx longer than 4,0 mm. Flag over 12.0 mm long ............................................................................................................................................ 30 30   Sems entirely grass. Corolla yellow ......................................................................................................................................... 20. - A. asper Jacq. 30* Stems at the base woodened. Corolla different tinted .......................................................................................................................................... 31 31   Beans 50.0 - 70.0 mm long ……………………................................................................................…….... 26. - A. pugionifer Fisch. ex Bunge 31* Beans shorter than 50.0 mm .............................................................................................................................................................................. 32 32   Side leaflets 2 - 4 pairs ......................................................................................................................................................... 28. - A. glaucus MV 32* Side leaflets more than four couples ................................................................................................................................................................... 33 33  Beans long as the calyx (out is fed only bill), covered with a cloth spread ……………………............................................... 30. - A. vesicarius L. 33* Beans exceed calyx; covered with lies close or low lint ....................................................................................................................................... 34 34   Inflorescences dense, ovate, usually smaller than 5.0 cm clusters ......................................................................................................................... 35 34* Clusters spread, thin, elongated, usually larger than 5.0 cm clusters ............................................................................... 29. - A. varius S. G. Gmel. 35 Corolla violet red. Inflorescence stems are not longer than in  inflorescence leaves .................................................................. 27. - A. cornutus Pall. 35* Corolla whitish yellow. Inflorescences stems 1 - 2 times longer than in  inflorescence leaves ................................................... 28. - A. glaucus MV ¹ developed by S. Vulev From „Флора на НР България”, том VI, БАН, София, (1976)

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Astragalus is a large genus of about 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and the subfamily Faboideae. It is the largest genus of plants in terms of described species.[1] The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names include milkvetch (most species), locoweed (in North America, some species)[2] and goat's -thorn (A. gummifer, A. tragacanthus). Some pale-flowered vetches are similar in appearance, but vetches are more vine-like.

Ecology

Astragalus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including many case-bearing moths of the genus Coleophora: C. cartilaginella, C. colutella, C. euryaula, and C. onobrychiella feed exclusively on Astragalus, C. astragalella and C. gallipennella feed exclusively on the species Astragalus glycyphyllos, and C. hippodromica is limited to Astragalus gombo.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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References:„Флора на НР България”, том VI, БАН, София, (1976), Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Distribution in Bulgaria: (Conspectus of the Bulgarian Vascular Flora) = conspectus&gs_l= Zlc.
Distribution:

SPECIES:

Astragalus alopecurus Pall. - Milkvetch, Lokoweed

Astragalus cicer L. - Chickpea milkweth, Cicer milkvetch

Astragalus dasyanthus Pall. - x   x   x

Astragalus depressus L. - Sprawling Milk Vetch

Astragalus onobrychis L. - x   x   x

 

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