Astragalus sinicus
Astragalus sinicus, commonly known as Chinese milk vetch, is a versatile medicinal plant highly valued in traditional East Asian medicine. Renowned for its immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties, it is frequently utilized to strengthen vitality, support respiratory health, and promote longevity through its unique bioactive compounds and nutritional density.
- Scientific name: Astragalus sinicus
- Family: Fabaceae
- Native range: Asia-Temperate
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Fabales, it is classified under the family Fabaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Astragalus, specifically as the species Astragalus sinicus.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Astragalus | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Astragalus sinicus, is known by various common names across different regions and languages. In Simplified Chinese (zh-hans), Traditional Chinese (zh-hant), and the Cantonese dialect of Hong Kong (zh-hk), it is referred to as 紫雲英, while in Japanese (ja), it is called ゲンゲ, and in Korean (ko), it is known as 자운영.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 紫云英 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 紫雲英 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 紫雲英 | Wikidata |
| ja | ゲンゲ | Wikidata |
| ko | 자운영 | Wikidata |
| zh | 紫云英 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 紫雲英 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 紫云英 | Wikidata |
| ja | レンゲソウ | Wikidata |
| ja | 蓮華草 | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant is widely distributed across various regions of East Asia. In China, its presence is noted in the South-Central, North-Central, and Southeast territories. Beyond mainland China, the species can also be found throughout the Korean Peninsula. Additionally, its range extends to the islands of Japan. This broad distribution highlights the plant's adaptability across diverse East Asian landscapes.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | China North-Central | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Japan | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Korea | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Taiwan | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Vietnam | WCVP |
Chemicals
Astragalus sinicus has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 5-methyl-tryptophan, Trp, soyasaponin IV, tryptophan.
- Total chemicals
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 5-methyl-tryptophan | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Trp | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| soyasaponin IV | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| tryptophan | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |