Misplaced Pages

#952047

16-441: The Madrean region is characterized by a very distinct flora with at least three endemic families ( Fouquieriaceae , Simmondsiaceae , and Setchellanthaceae ). Crossosomataceae , Garryaceae , Lennoaceae , Limnanthaceae and Stegnospermataceae have their principal development here; for Onagraceae , Polemoniaceae and Hydrophyllaceae it is the major center of diversity. More than 250 genera and probably more than half of

32-437: A raceme , each flower typical of the legume family, with three types of petals: banner, wings, and keel. The calyx is tubular or bell-shaped. The genus was formally described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum . The name Astragalus is Greek , an old name for this group of plants which were believed to have a positive effect on goat milk production. Astragalus species are used as food plants by

48-504: A historic era as in fossil flora . Lastly, floras may be subdivided by special environments: The flora of a particular area or time period can be documented in a publication also known as a " flora " (often capitalized as "Flora" to distinguish the two meanings when they might be confused). Floras may require specialist botanical knowledge to use with any effectiveness. Traditionally they are books , but some are now published on CD-ROM or websites . Simon Paulli 's Flora Danica of 1648

64-723: A principal center of diversity within the province. The flora of the Californian Province is partially shared with the spatially distant Chile-Patagonian region of the Antarctic kingdom and to a lesser extent Mediterranean region of the Holarctic kingdom . The vegetation of the Californian Province is varied. Wetter northern parts of the Californian province ( Northern California and Oregon ) as defined by Peter Raven and D.I. Axelrod, as well as by Conservation International , fall under

80-578: A work cataloguing such vegetation. Moreover, "Flora" was used to refer to the flowers of an artificial garden in the seventeenth century. The distinction between vegetation (the general appearance of a community) and flora (the taxonomic composition of a community) was first made by Jules Thurmann (1849). Prior to this, the two terms were used interchangeably. Plants are grouped into floras based on region ( floristic regions ), period, special environment, or climate. Regions can be distinct habitats like mountain vs. flatland. Floras can mean plant life of

96-578: Is also moderate (about 25%), but is much more considerable in such genera as Astragalus , Eriogonum , Penstemon , Cymopterus , Lomatium , Cryptantha , Chrysothamnus , Erigeron , Phacelia , Castilleja , and Gilia . The vegetation in the central Great Basin shrub steppe part of the province is dominated by Artemisia species and Chenopodiaceae genera. The Great Basin montane forests include ancient Great Basin bristlecone pine ( Pinus longaeva ) trees. The Californian province occupies Central and Southern California from

112-600: Is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere . Common names include milkvetch (most species), locoweed (in North America, some species) and goat's-thorn ( A. gummifer , A. tragacantha ). Some pale-flowered vetches ( Vicia spp.) are similar in appearance, but they are more vine -like than Astragalus . Most species in the genus have pinnately compound leaves. There are annual and perennial species. The flowers are formed in clusters in

128-943: Is no high-quality evidence that it is effective or safe for any medical purpose. Extracts of astragalus root include diverse phytochemicals , such as saponins and isoflavone flavonoids , which are purported in traditional practices to increase lactation in nursing mothers. There is no valid clinical evidence to indicate such use is effective or safe for the mother or infant. Dietary supplement products containing astragalus extracts may not have been adequately tested for efficacy, safety, purity or consistency. The root extracts of astragalus may be used in soups, teas or sold in capsules . Although astragalus supplements are generally well tolerated, mild gastrointestinal upset , diarrhea , and allergic reactions may occur. Because astragalus may affect regulation of blood sugar and blood pressure , it may be risky for people with blood disorders , diabetes , or hypertension to use it as

144-599: Is probably the first book titled "Flora" to refer to the plant world of a certain region. It mainly describes medicinal plants growing in Denmark. The Flora Sinensis by the Polish Jesuit Michał Boym is another early example of a book titled "Flora". However, despite its title it covered not only plants but also some animals of the region, that is China and India. A published flora often contains diagnostic keys. Often these are dichotomous keys , which require

160-469: The Mexican Plateau region, including Madrean pine-oak woodlands . Flora Flora ( pl. : floras or florae ) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous ) native plants. The corresponding term for animals is fauna , and for fungi , it is funga . Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora as in

176-777: The Rocky Mountain region in Takhtajan and Thorne's system and are not parts of the Madrean region. The Sonoran province comprises arid areas in the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico from California and Baja California to Texas and Tamaulipas , including the Mojave (characterized by Yucca brevifolia , Joshua Tree), Sonora and Chihuahua Deserts. The vegetation is dominated by Yucca , Cactaceae species ( Opuntia spp. and other), as well as by Larrea tridentata (Creosote bush). The Mexican Highlands province comprises areas in

SECTION 10

#1732845244953

192-538: The larvae of some Lepidoptera species including many case-bearing moths of the genus Coleophora : C. cartilaginella , C. colutella , C. euryaula , and C. onobrychiella feed exclusively on Astragalus , C. astragalella and C. gallipennella feed exclusively on the species Astragalus glycyphyllos , and C. hippodromica is limited to Astragalus gombo . Astragalus has been used in traditional Chinese medicine over centuries to treat various disorders, but there

208-647: The species of the region are endemic to it according to Takhtajan. The region is subdivided into four floristic provinces : The Great Basin floristic province includes most of the Great Basin , as well as the Colorado Plateau , the Snake River Plain , and Arizona north of the Mogollon Rim . It shares much of its flora with the neighboring provinces and has only a few endemic genera . Species endemism

224-1062: The seashore to the foothills of the Cascade Range , the Sierra Nevada range, and northern parts of Baja California in Mexico . It possesses the most diverse flora within the floristic region. About half of the species are endemic. More than 50 genera (e.g. Adenostoma , Bergerocactus , Carpenteria , Cneoridium , Dendromecon , Fremontodendron , Jepsonia , Lyonothamnus , Neostapfia , Odontostomum , Ornithostaphylos , Pickeringia , Romneya ) are endemic or near-endemic as well. Arctostaphylos , Brodiaeinae , Calochortus , Caulanthus , Streptanthus , Ceanothus , Cryptantha , Downingia , Dudleya , Eritrichieae , Eriogonoideae , Gileae , Hydrophyllaceae , Limnanthaceae , Lotus , Madiinae , Mimulus , Onagreae , Epilobieae , Orcuttieae , Eschscholzioideae , Platystemonoideae , Astragalus and Cupressus have

240-500: The terms gut flora or skin flora . The word "flora" comes from the Latin name of Flora , the goddess of plants , flowers , and fertility in Roman mythology . The technical term "flora" is then derived from a metonymy of this goddess at the end of the sixteenth century. It was first used in poetry to denote the natural vegetation of an area, but soon also assumed the meaning of

256-442: The user to examine a plant repeatedly, and decide which one of two alternatives given best applies to the plant. Astragalus (plant) Over 3,000 species, see list of Astragalus species Astragalus is a large genus of over 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs , belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and the subfamily Faboideae . It is the largest genus of plants in terms of described species. The genus

#952047