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Astragalus gummifer

Authority Labill. Family Magnoliopsida:Rosidae:Fabales:Leguminosae Synonyms Common names Editor Ecocrop code 3504

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A thorny and branching shrub up to 1 m tall, with leaves composed of thorny rachis with 4-7 pairs of mucronated and smooth leaflets. The flowers are borne in clusters of 2-3 at the axils of leaves. USES A gum is extracted from the stem and used in cosmetics, calico printing, confectionery, medically in insoluble powders, in emulsifying oils and resins, and as a thickening or stabilizing agent in ice creams, salad dressings and candies. It is also used as a sizing agent and pint paste thickener in the textile industy, and as an emulsifier in furniture, floor and auto polishes. The leaves have medicinal properties. GROWING PERIOD Perennial. Harvest period from April to November. COMMON NAMES Gum tragacanth, Tragacanth tree, Shagal el Ketira, Adrilel. FURTHER INF Scientific synonyms: A. strobiliferus, A. erianthus, A. adpressus, A. noemiae. Gum tragacanth can be found in steppe pastoral land and dry highlands at altitudes between 1200 and 3000 m, in the Sahel region up to 1800 m.
Sources
SOURCES (Astragalus gummifer Labill.) Duke J 1981 pp 24-26 [DRA, KTMP, RAIN, TEMP, PH] Roecklein J 1987 pp 252 [USE] Duke J 1975 pp 7 [PH, RAIN, TEMP] Iwu M 1993 pp 123-124 [USE] Coppen J 1995a pp 36-41 [USE]