Author: آمنه غلامی 
Astragalus fragiferus Bunge
Mohammad Dadmand, Masoumeh Ramezani Yeganeh and Azadeh Akhavan
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at December 2025
Scientific editor: Parvin Salehi Shanjani
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds), dry to 15-20% eRH, and store at -20°C.
Germination requirements
The seeds have physical-physiological dormancy and this is related to seed coat and inhibitors. To remove the seed coat, different methods of scarification can be used (sandpaper, sulfuric acid, hot water, etc.). To break dormancy, stratification with pre-chilling (for 14 days), ultrasonic waves, and hormones (Gibberellic acid 100 ppm) are efficient. The best method for breaking dormancy is rubbing the seeds with sandpaper and moist chilling (14 days at 4 °C). Then germinate under a constant temperature of 20 ºC or alternating temperature 25 ºC (16 hours of light) and 15 ºC (8 hours of dark).
Morphology
Fruit Type: Pod
Fruit Form: Subovoid, laterally compressed, slightly curved, narrowed to apex, pubescent, beak slightly curved, 0.5 to 1 mm long
Fruit Size: Length 2.5 to 5 mm, thickness 2 to 4 mm and width 1 to 2 mm
Seed shape: Reniform, laterally compressed, hilum sunken. Surface wrinkled, glabrous, slightly lustrous, color pale brown, with scattered tiny spot
Seed size: Length 3.30 to 10.10 mm, width 23.2 to 2.86 mm in an accession from farydonshahr, Esfahan, with a 1000 seed weight of 6.7 g, which was collected and identified by Azadeh Akhavan in 2018 and is stored in the Iranian Natural Resources Gene Bank with an accession number 47477.
Average 1000 seed weight: 3.6 to 6.7 g
Biological features
Life form: Life form: Perennial, subshrub, thorny, cushion-like, spreading on the ground, with very dense and tangled branches, 10 to 20 cm high, pubescent
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescence a spherical and dense raceme; flowers hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, papilionaceous, corolla (composed of banner: upper large petal, wings: two petals adjacent to the banner, and keel: two bottom petals) purple, claws yellowish white, wings longer than the keel. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects and wind.
Flowering time: Mid-spring
Time of seed ripening: Late spring
Seed dispersal methods: Seed weight and animals
Geographical distribution: Endemic to Iran. Typus from Esfahan
Distribution in Iran: west and center. Mostly in Provinces Esfahan, Kahkiloyeh and Boyerahmad, Bakhtiari, Fars and Kerman
Taxonomy
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Astragalus
Species: A. fragiferus
Persian name: Gavan
References and Links
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 1-419 pp.
Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of seeds and fruits of central and East-European flora: the Carpathian Mountains region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1046 pp.
Ghahraman, A. Flore of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands with University of Tehran Publication. https://floraofiran.net/index.php.
Javadi, H. 2021. Seed: Processing and Quality tests. Agricultural Education & Extension Publishers, 175 pp.
Maassoumi, A.A. 2016. Flora of Iran, Fabaceae (Astragalus II). Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, Publication No. 85, 504 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian plants names. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 671 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 2012. A Pictorial dictionary of botany. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 1088 pp.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delh
