Astragalus Dongan

Astragalus membranaceus is a perennial herb with a plant height of about 1 meter. The taproot has a diameter of 1-2 cm and a length of more than 1 meter, and is directly inserted into the deep soil. The aboveground stems are erect and angular; Be hairy. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnate compound, with 21-31 leaflets. Leaflets are elliptic, 7-30 mm long and 4-12 mm wide, with rounded or slightly concave apex and rounded base. Stipules lanceolate and 6 mm long. Racemes grow in the upper leaf axils of stems, with 10-20 flowers per inflorescence. The flowers are light yellow, butterfly-shaped corolla, the flag petal is obovate, the top is slightly concave, and the wing petal is nearly the same length as the keel petal. The ovary has a stalk, the pod swells after flowering, is oblong, 2-3 cm long, with a short beak at the top, short hair outside the fruit, and 3-8 seeds inside. Astragalus membranaceus is a valuable Chinese herbal medicine. According to the Pharmacopoeia, it has the effects of invigorating qi, consolidating exterior and inducing diuresis. There is also a folk habit of taking Astragalus membranaceus to make nourishing and strengthening food in winter. Therefore, the annual consumption of astragalus is very large. The medicinal part is the root, and once the root is shaved, the whole plant will no longer survive. The wild resources of Astragalus membranaceus are increasingly scarce under the condition of large-scale mining. Therefore, it is determined that this plant is a national third-class protected plant. Astragalus membranaceus is produced in North China, Northeast China, Inner Mongolia and Northwest China, mainly in Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Hebei and other provinces, and also distributed in Sichuan, the former Soviet Union, North Korea and Mongolia. In order to protect wild resources, mining and planing should be properly restricted, and it is forbidden to dig young plants after the seeds mature and land. In order to expand resources, we should vigorously develop planting or artificial seeding of young plants, and then keep them semi-wild until harvesting.
Reprinted with attribution： https://cnlocality.com/(Chinese Specialty Products)