Astragalus

Astragalus is a genus of flowering plants, family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, comprising over 3,000 species, making it the largest genus of plants by described species; it is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Commonly called milkvetch for most species, locoweed for North American species, and goat own thorn for certain others, members typically have pinnately compound leaves and range from herbs to small shrubs, including both annual and perennial forms; flowers are arranged in racemes typical of the legume family, with banner, wing and keel petals and a tubular or bell-shaped calyx. The genus was formally established by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, and its name derives from Greek origins reflecting historical beliefs about the plant own effect on goat milk production.