Goat's Rue, Or Galega

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Goat's rue, or Galega (lat. Galega) - a small genus of herbaceous perennial plants belonging to the glorious legume family (lat. Fabaceae). This very decorative tall plant is grown by gardeners to decorate flower beds. It is believed that the Goat's rue used to feed livestock increases milk production. Galega is also a natural healer, in particular, the plant's ability to lower human blood sugar is used to treat diabetes.

What's in your name

The Latin name of the genus of plants "Galega" is based on the ancient Greek word "gala", which means "milk" in Russian. According to one version, the genus owes this name to the white sap flowing through the vessels of plants and protruding outward if its plant tissues are injured.

But there is also another version. The plant, which came to Europe and Asia from the Middle East, was willingly cultivated by people as feed for livestock. It was believed that such food increases the milk yield in cows and goats, which became the basis for such a name for the genus.

The genus has many popular names, among which there are such as "French Lilac" (French lilac), "Professor-weed" (Professor-weed), "Goat's-rue" (Goat rue) and many others.

Description

The perennial plant is supported by a taproot that feeds from the depths of the soil. A rather bare stem, from eighty to one hundred and twenty centimeters in height, is born on the surface of the earth.

The branched stem is covered with complex odd-pinnate leaves with long stems, on which from three to nine such pairs can be located, with a leaflet at the end of the stem. The leaves are ovate-lanceolate, often with a sharp tip, with smooth edges. Loose narrow stipules look like sentries at the base of the stalks of a compound leaf.

Axillary or terminal racemes-inflorescences are formed by numerous flowers. The flowers of the Goat's rue are an excellent standard for flowers with a moth-like corolla, possessing two lateral "wings" and single lower petals forming a "keel". The color of the petals is from white-light purple to blue. There are ten stamens in the center of the corolla. The protective cup of the corolla is five-lobed.

The fruit of Galega is a rather straight, cylindrical pod, traditional for plants of the Legume family, with a bare surface and numerous seeds-beans inside.

Varieties

Today the genus has only five plant species in its ranks. Of these, two species are found in the wild in the south of our country, and are also grown by humans as feed for livestock and as a good honey plant in more northern regions.

One of them is

Goat's rue (lat. Galega officinalis), which grows more often in the wild, but is sometimes cultivated. Second -

Oriental goat's rue (lat. Galega orientalis), often welcomed by gardeners and easily feral.

In North America, for example, there is concern that the "Goat's-rue" will cross the breed and become a troubled foreigner, becoming an annoying weed on manicured farm fields.

Healing abilities

Although today diabetes is one of the diseases that cannot be completely cured, there are drugs that significantly lower sugar levels, thereby alleviating the condition of the sick person's body. Plants of the genus "Galega" also belong to such healers.

In addition, the ability of plants to increase milk production in pets is advertised for lactating mothers, guaranteeing them an increase in lactation when using Goat's rue.

The plant also possesses such abilities as diaphoretic, diuretic and antihelminthic. For the preparation of potions, traditional medicine uses the herb of the plant, that is, the stems, leaves and flowers.