Astragalus garbancillo

Astragalus garbancillo is a small plant in the pea family, Fabaceae. It is a perennial, which means it lives for years. Its native range spans Peru, Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina. Records in Argentina list Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta, and San Juan. Kew puts it in subalpine or subarctic climates. Other accounts place it on high ground in warmer regions. In Peru, it grows in Andean grassland and among shrubs. Reported sites stand 6,562–14,764 feet [2,000–4,500 metres] above sea level.

Its stems have woody bases. They reach 0.3–1.6 feet [0.1–0.5 metres] tall. One source also gives a height of 0.7 feet [0.2 metres]. These sizes describe the plant, not a tested garden range. Sources call it both a shrub and a perennial. It grows in open fields and beside tracks and hedges. One local account calls it weedy in these places. The sources give no clear account of leaves or fruit. They give no flower colour or bloom season, either. Flowers have both male and female organs. Bees, moths, and butterflies visit the flowers and pollinate them.

Care accounts call for sun and dry soil that drains well. They list sand and loam as soil choices. The stated pH range goes from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. PFAF bases its growing advice on the genus. These notes offer a guide, not proof of garden success. The sources do not confirm that it withstands British winters. They advise moving young plants before their roots take hold. Disturbing the roots can cause harm. Root bacteria form nodules, or small lumps, and fix nitrogen. This gives the plant nitrogen it can use. Some may also help plants that grow nearby.

Local people use it to wash clothes. They also use it to help soap clean fine fabrics. Reports describe its use against insects, too. In Peru, people have used it to help find uranium deposits. One source records a folk remedy for sore legs. People mix the plant with cane alcohol for a rub. This report does not prove that the treatment is safe or works. PFAF, in contrast, lists no known use as medicine.

Neither source lists a use as food. Useful Tropical Plants links this species to deaths in livestock. This warning carries more weight than the reported household uses. The evidence does not show that people or pets can use it safely. It gives no account of pests or diseases for this species.