Astragalus spinosus

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Astragalus microthamnus
• Colutea spinosa
• Astragalus armatus var. libycus
• Tragacantha scorpius
• Tragacantha microthamna
• Astragalus spinosus var. kneuckeri
• Astragalus scorpius
• Astragalus kneuckeri
• Astragalus spinosus f. aegyptiacus
• Astragalus spinosus f. palaestinus
• Astragalus spinosus var. hamrinensis

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

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 and is identified by the genus Astragalus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical range that spans across both Northern Africa and Western Asia. In the African continent, its distribution is notably concentrated within the countries of Egypt and Libya. Moving into Western Asia, the species can be found growing in the landscapes of Iran and Iraq. Additionally, its presence extends to the region covering Lebanon and Syria. Together, these locations define the natural habitat where Astragalus spinosus is typically located.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Astragalus spinosus is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment through multiple growing seasons. As a long-lived plant, it establishes a robust presence within its habitat, often relying on a deep or extensive root system to survive seasonal fluctuations and resource scarcity. Its developmental cycle involves navigating various stages of growth and maturation over several years, rather than completing its entire life cycle within a single season as seen in annuals. This perennial nature enables the plant to invest energy into structural longevity and repeated reproductive efforts, contributing to its stability within its ecological niche.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Astragalus spinosus is characterized by a growth form that transitions between a shrub and a subshrub, displaying a structural complexity defined by its woodiness. As a woody plant, it possesses a sturdy framework that supports its development, yet it remains an independent organism, functioning without any parasitic relationship to its host plants. In terms of its habitat preference and ecological positioning, the species is primarily terrestrial, rather than aquatic or semiaquatic. Furthermore, the plant is structurally self-supporting, lacking the specialized climbing mechanisms found in obligatory or facultative climbers, which allows it to maintain its upright, bushy stature within its natural environment.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

shrub

Growth form :

subshrub

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Astragalus spinosus is fundamentally characterized by its utilization of the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a process where carbon dioxide is fixed directly into a three-carbon compound during the initial stages of the Calvin cycle. This metabolic strategy dictates how the plant manages gas exchange and energy production, typically involving the enzyme Rubisco to facilitate carboxylation. As a C3 plant, its physiological efficiency is highly dependent on environmental conditions such as light intensity, temperature, and moisture availability, as it lacks the specialized carbon-concentrating mechanisms found in C4 or CAM species. Consequently, its metabolic rate and water-use efficiency are closely tied to its ability to maintain open stomata for CO2 uptake while minimizing transpirational water loss, a critical aspect of its physiological adaptation to its specific ecological niche.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Astragalus spinosus is characterized by specific seed morphology and diverse dispersal strategies. The plant produces seeds with a relatively small mass, ranging from a minimum of 0.00937 g to a maximum of 0.01276 g, with an average seed mass of 0.01097 g. In terms of its dispersal syndrome, the species exhibits a multifaceted approach to spreading its progeny, utilizing an unspecialized strategy that encompasses anemochorous (wind dispersal), zoochorous (animal dispersal), autochorous (self-dispersal), and hydrochorous (water dispersal) mechanisms.

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Seed mass max:

0.01276 g

Seed mass mean:

0.01097 g

Seed mass min:

0.00937 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Astragalus spinosus has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root.

Leaf

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Root

1. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences

Chemicals

Astragalus spinosus has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Glycosides, rutin 7-O-hexoside.

Flavonoids

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Glycosides

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

rutin 7-O-hexoside

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Activities

Astragalus spinosus has 4 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antiviral, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antitumor.

Antiviral

1. Die Pharmazie
2. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Antibacterial

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Antifungal

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Antitumor

1. Die Pharmazie

Conditions

Astragalus spinosus has 7 reported investigations on conditions identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include AIDS, Bacillus cereus, HSV-1, HSV-2, Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Aids

1. Die Pharmazie

Bacillus cereus

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Hsv-1

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Hsv-2

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Klebsiella pneumoniae

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Antiviral

1. Die Pharmazie

Preparations

Astragalus spinosus has 1 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include hydroalcoholic plant extract.

Hydroalcoholic plant extract

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics