Common name: Himalayan milk vetch, Milk vetch
Botanical name: Astragalus floridus Family: Fabaceae (pea family)
Himalayan Milk Vetch is a member of the pea family, includes many species
that grow around the world.
Himalayan Milk Vetch is an herbaceous perennial native to the Himalayas.
The multi-stemmed plant grows to about 1 to 1.5 m in height and
has alternate, compound leaves composed of 12 to 18 pairs of small leaflets.
Mature plants have yellow pea-like flowers in long clusters during early
summer. These are followed by seedpods growing up to 15 cm in length. The
roots are rhizomatous, black with a yellow core, have a peculiar odor and a
sweetish taste.
Medicinal uses:
Astragalus has recently come into prominence in the US for its
medicinal properties, but it has long been known in traditional Chinese
medicine to invigorate vital energy and strengthen resistance to disease.
There, the dried roots are frequently sold and are boiled along with other
herbs or even chicken broth to prepare a tonic or medicinal soup. The roots
are used for its immunostimulant, antimicrobial, cardiotonic and diuretic
properties. Because it increases production of white blood cells, it has been
found useful in therapy for cancer patients that have undergone chemotherapy
or radiation. It has also been used for treating chronic diarrhea and
reducing blood pressure, and for treating the common cold. Astragalus has
been marketed as dried roots, ground roots in tablets and capsule form, liquid
extracts, or as a component in herbal teas.
| Photographed in Valley of
Flowers, Uttaranchal. |
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