2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Astragalus testicular (lat. Astragalus testiculatus) - a herbaceous friable plant of the genus Astragalus (lat. Astragalus), ranked by botanists as belonging to the legume family (lat. Fabaceae). It stands out among other species of the genus for its "creeping character", almost without looking up from the surface of the earth. Its complex feathery leaves with miniature leaves are scattered in different directions, as if forming a nest for its egg-shaped fruits. True, the "eggs" of the plant are covered with dense hairy pubescence, which protects the seeds from the vicissitudes of their habitat. A very ornamental plant that can not only decorate the garden, but also protect the soil from overheating and dehydration, enriching it with nitrogen along the way.
What's in your name
Both words of the Latin name for the plant "Astragalus testiculatus" are associated with the shape of its fruit. The meaning of the Latin name of the genus has already been mentioned, and the specific epithet "testiculatus" is based on the shape of legume pods, which resemble miniature bird testicles, located in the center of the plant as if in a nest. True, unlike smooth bird eggs, the pods are covered with thick white protruding hairs.
The specific epithet "testiculatus" in the Russian-language literature is translated by different words that have the same meaning, but slightly different sounds: "ovarian", "testicular", "testicular".
Description
Perennial Astragalus testicular is supported by a taproot surrounded by adventitious roots. From it, complex leaves, or spread short stems, are born on the surface of the earth.
Astragalus testicular is a low-growing plant, the height of which, depending on the conditions of life, varies from five to twelve centimeters. If the plant shows the stalks to the world, which happens quite rarely, then their length varies from two to six centimeters, and the surface is covered with a dense layer of tangled hairs of various lengths.
Complicated pinnate leaves from five to twelve centimeters long form a basal openwork rosette. On a common densely hairy petiole, there are from seven to thirteen pairs of small oval leaves, also differing in hairiness on both sides.
In the axils of the leaves, single or paired flowers of the moth type are born, the sail of which is much larger than the lateral wings. The color of the flower petals is whitish-pink, whitish-purple or lavender. The corolla of the flowers is protected by a tubular calyx ending in lanceolate teeth. White and black protruding hairs densely cover the surface of the calyx. The predominance of black hairs over white hairs along the veins of the calyx makes its color striped. The flowers of the plant are very picturesque.
The shaggy, egg-shaped, sessile fruits of Astragalus look amazing, giving the entire densely haired plant the appearance of a bird's nest. Bilocular beans are short, nine to fifteen millimeters long.
Habitat conditions
Astragalus testicular chooses coastal open slopes for its life, turfing them with its root system and dense feathery foliage. The plant tolerates drought well, but it hardly tolerates severe prolonged frosts, although it grows, including in the south of Siberia.
Despite its unpretentiousness to the conditions of life, Astragalus testicular is endangered, and therefore is listed in a number of the Red Books of our country, including in the Tomsk region. The main enemies of the plant are fires, grazing.
Usage
Spectacular appearance, high drought resistance, the ability to enrich the soil with nitrogen make this type of Astragalus attractive for gardeners in such flower beds as alpine slides, rocky gardens and rocky walls.
Recommended:
Astragalus
Astragalus (lat.Astragalus) - a numerous genus of various plants of the legume family (lat. Fabaceae). Among more than two and a half thousand representatives of the genus, there are herbaceous plants, dwarf shrubs and shrubs. Some species have healing powers.
The Horn Head Is Testicular
The horn head is testicular is one of the plants of the family called buttercup, in Latin the name of this plant will sound like this: Ceratocephala testiculata (Crantz.) Bess. As for the name of the family of the testicular hornhead itself, in Latin it will be like this:
Astragalus Cold
Astragalus cold (lat.Astragalus frigidus) - a herbaceous land perennial plant of the genus Astragalus (lat.Astragalus), ranked among the glorious family of legumes (lat.Fabaceae). It is difficult for this stunted plant with almost bare stems to survive without outside help in the modern world, and therefore Astragalus cold got into the Red Data Books of some regions.
Astragalus Chickpea
Astragalus chickpea (lat.Astragalus cicer) - a large herbaceous perennial plant of the genus Astragalus (lat.Astragalus), belonging to the legume family (lat.Fabaceae). The plant's perenniality is supported by a powerful root system, which grows horizontally from year to year.
Astragalus Fluffy
Astragalus fluffy (lat.Astragalus dasyanthus) - a herbaceous pubescent perennial plant of the genus Astragalus (lat. Astragalus), which is a representative of the glorious legume family (lat. Fabaceae). In addition to dense white pubescence, the plant has many other advantages that were noticed by man and are actively used by him for the benefit of people.
