Herb of immortality of ancient Scythians: A new species of plant discovered in Atyrau region
A group of researchers from the Tatishchev Astrakhan State University, Makhambet Utemisov West Kazakhstan University and Botanical Garden of the Uralsk Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have discovered a new species of perennial plant growing in Kazakhstan’s Atyrau region, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The plant was named as Ivanov’s Astragalus, in honor of Vsevolod Ivanov, a renowned botanist and Director of the Geobotany School at the Utemisov West Kazakhstan University
Aleksey Laktionov, a professor of the Astrakhan State University, who leads the Inder-2025 international scientific-research expedition, says the plant grows in Atyrau region’s Inder district.
“This is an endemic plant growing in the Inder Salt Dome. The first collected herbarium specimen is stored at the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg. The data about this specimen was introduced into the international botanical database. Ivanov’s Astragalus is a perennial semishrub with a height not exceeding 5-10 centimeters. Its inflorescence is of pink-salmon color with a length of 5 to 8 centimeters. The fruits are shaped like a round pod, ovoid in structure, 12 to 20 millimeters long. Inside the fruit there is a cavity containing some 25 seeds,” Laktionov says.
According to him, there are about 5,000 known species of plants belonging to the Astragalus family.
“Ancient Scythians named the Astragalus as the herb of immortality. This plant can be used in treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, as it strengthens immune system. Astragalus promotes the production of interferon, which has an antiviral effect and activates internal protection mechanisms of a human organism and helps it resist such diseases as colds, flu and bronchitis. It improves liver functions, lowers blood sugar level, promotes vasodilation and normalizes blood pressure,” the researcher says.
Russian researchers proceeded to studying some types of astragalus with the aim of their possible use in the treatment of cancer diseases.
The plant was discovered by:
Aleksey Laktionov, professor of biology at the Tatishchev Astrakhan State University;
Sayagul Akhmedenova, post-graduate student of the same university;
Mikhail Knyazev, laboratory supervisor at the Botanical Garden of the Uralsk Branch of the Russian Academy of Science;
Researchers of the Makhambet Utemisov West Kazakhstan University;
Earlier it was reported that two new species of spider were discovered in south of Kazakhstan.
