Galega, commonly known as goat's rue, is a genus of 6 to 8 species of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, within the order Fabales. The genus consists of tall, bushy herbaceous perennials that produce erect racemes of pea-like flowers in shades of white, pink, blue, and mauve. Plants are native to central and southern Europe, western Asia, and tropical east Africa, where they favour sunny damp meadows and slopes.
The most widely cultivated species are Galega officinalis (common goat's rue or professor-weed) and Galega orientalis (fodder galega). Both are grown ornamentally in gardens. Numerous cultivars and garden hybrids have been developed; the hybrid G. × hartlandii 'Lady Wilson', with bicoloured blue and white flowers, and the white-flowered G. × hartlandii 'Alba' have both received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Galega officinalis has a long history of medicinal and agricultural use in Europe; it contains guanidine compounds that were precursors to the development of the drug metformin, now a cornerstone treatment for type 2 diabetes.
Etymology
The common name "goat's rue" reflects traditional use of Galega officinalis as a forage plant thought to increase milk yield in goats. The genus name Galega derives from the Greek gala (milk), alluding to this galactagogue reputation.
Distribution
Galega species are native to central and southern Europe, western Asia, and tropical east Africa. Within this range, plants favour sunny, damp meadows and slopes. Several species are restricted to eastern Africa (G. africana, G. battiscombei, G. lindblomii, G. somalensis), while G. officinalis and G. orientalis are the European and western Asian representatives.
Cultivation
Galega officinalis and G. orientalis are widely grown as ornamental garden perennials. The hybrid G. × hartlandii and its cultivars — including 'Lady Wilson' (bicoloured blue and white) and 'Alba' (white) — have received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Plants prefer sunny positions with reasonably moist soil, consistent with their native meadow habitats.
History
Galega officinalis has been used in European folk medicine for centuries as a supposed galactagogue and remedy for fever and plague. It contains guanidine alkaloids; scientific investigation of these compounds in the early twentieth century led to the synthesis of metformin, which became one of the most widely prescribed drugs for type 2 diabetes. G. orientalis has been cultivated as a fodder crop in parts of Russia and Scandinavia.
