Astragalus hamosus
| Astragalus hamosus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Astragalus hamosus
Propagation: Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse. Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water. If any seed does not swell up in this time then carefully prick it with a needle making sure that you do not damage the embryo, and re-soak for a further 24 hours. Germination usually takes place within 3 - 6 weeks at 13°c[1][2]. As soon as it is large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
Cultivation: Requires a dry well-drained soil in a sunny position[3]. Grows well in Cornwall[K].
Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and are best sown in situ[2].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[2]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.
Many members of this genus can be difficult to grow, this may be due partly to a lack of their specific bacterial associations in the soil[2].
Range: Europe - Mediterranean to Armenia, Ukraine and the Caucasus.
Habitat: Dry grassland[4]. Semidesert areas in foothills and the low montane belt, on clay, loess, sand and rock debris[5].
Edibility: Young seedpods - cooked[6][7][8]. They quickly become tough and fibrous[K]. The young seedpods are also used in salads. They have only a mediocre taste, but look very much like certain worms and so are used mainly for their novelty value[6].
Medicinal: The plant is demulcent, emollient, galactogogue and laxative[9]. It is useful in treating irritation of the mucous membranes, nervous affections and catarrh[9].
Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Many members of this genus contain toxic glycosides[10]. All species with edible seedpods can be distinguished by their fleshy round or oval seedpod that looks somewhat like a greengage[11]. A number of species can also accumulate toxic levels of selenium
Links
References
- ↑ Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press, 1980.
- ↑ Yakovlev, G. Legumes of Northern Eurasia. Royal Botanic gardens, Kew, 1996.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.
- ↑ Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.