Astragalus atropilosulus is a perennial herb in the family Fabaceae. It is native to Eastern Africa and some parts of the Arabian Peninsula.
It is used as a vegetable in Malawi and Kenya.Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.
Description
It is a perennial or perhaps sometimes biennial herb. It usually grows between 50-100 cm, but can reach up to 200 cm. The numerous stems are erect or ascending. The rootstock can be up to 2cm in diameter.
It is most commonly found in the months of September, October, and November. It is most commonly found in the country of Ethiopia.
Astragalus atropilosulus has 4 subspecies:
Astragalus atropilosulus var. burkeanus
Astragalus atropilosulus var. abyssinicus
Astragalus atropilosulus var. atropilosulus
Astragalus atropilosulus var. coerulescens
Uses
The leaves are used as a side dish and are sometimes mixed with the leaves of Solanum nigrum.
The roots are added to hot milk to help a woman having uterine pains after childbirth.
References
External links PROTAbase on Astragalus atropilosulus