Sophora alopecuroides seed
LATIN NAME: SOPHORA ALOPECUROIDES
COMMON NAME: Foxtail Sophora
On the dry plains and the sandy flats of the north-west, the foxtail sophora grows as a robust, clumping, perennial herb with the pinnate leaves of many narrow leaflets and the long, dense, erect spikes of small, creamy-white to pale-yellow, pea-like flowers that open from the base upwards in the summer, the beaded pods following. In time it steadily becomes a rounded crown, reaching 5-10 metres. Site it in full sun, in deep, fertile ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The foxtail sophora appears in the studies of the desert legumes of the north-west, its dense flower spikes and its deep roots keeping it in view in the work on the alkaloid-rich plants of the arid steppes and the soil-holding plants of the drifting sands. The research looks at the way the erect spikes open from the base, the beaded pods ripen and scatter, and the seed biology of the hard-coated seeds.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the dry garden and the erosion planting, the foxtail sophora lifts the dense, creamy flower spikes above the leafy clump and anchors the shifting sand with its deep roots. The alkaloid-rich plant has its long place in the regional traditions, and the plant makes the fine dryland perennial, the sand-fixing plant and the plant of the hot, dry garden. It is a plant for the open, sunny, deep and sandy place.
To grow the Foxtail Sophora from seed, pour hot water over the hard seeds and leave them overnight, then sow them.
Pour hot water over the hard seeds and leave them overnight, then sow them, and keep the young sophoras in the open, sunny spot. in pots of sandy soil, keep them lightly watered, and the young sophoras rise in the full sun. The creamy spikes open with the summer.
LATIN NAME: Sophora alopecuroides
COMMON NAME: Foxtail Sophora
The foxtail sophora is a neat, upright, leafy perennial of the dry plains, and its fine, pinnate leaves and its dense, upright spikes of the creamy-white, pea-like flowers have made it a plant of the steppe and the dry garden. In good conditions it grows a dense, bushy clump, staying under a metre. It is a species of the flowering plant in the pea family, and it is native to the dry plains of the central Asia and the nearby lands, while it grows in the dry, open ground, and it is known as the foxtail sophora.
The foxtail sophora belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae, and it is a species of the perennial herb, native to the dry plains of the central Asia, while it grows in the dry, open ground, and it is known as the foxtail sophora. It is prized for its dense, upright spikes of the creamy-white, pea-like flowers.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The foxtail sophora has a real and distinguished place in the research. It has been studied in the chemistry of the natural products, since the aerial parts and the roots of the foxtail sophora contain a range of the potent alkaloids, and researchers have examined these compounds with care, while the chemistry of the sophoras has drawn attention in the international pharmaceutical and toxicological press, and the study of the alkaloids of the pea family has been of continuing interest across the world. The plant has also been studied in the botany and the ecology, since it is a native of the dry plains of the central Asia, and its relationships, its distribution and its role in the steppe have been examined, while the ecology of the dry-plain plants has been of continuing interest, and the study of the wild plants has been of value. The species has also been studied in the agriculture and the land use, since its creeping, leafy growth can spread over the dry pasture, and researchers have examined its growth and its place in the grazing lands, while the plant is best appreciated as a subject of study rather than a casual remedy, and it is not a plant to taste, as the parts contain the alkaloids. For a plant of such chemistry, the foxtail sophora has a rich and continuing record of study.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the foxtail sophora is a generous plant of the dry garden. Its dense, upright spikes of the creamy-white, pea-like flowers feed the bees and the many insects, and its fine, leafy stems give a neat presence to the dry, open border.
Its economic value is real. The foxtail sophora is prized for its chemistry and its dense, upright spikes, and its value has drawn attention in the international pharmaceutical and toxicological press as a plant of the steppe, while its fine, leafy growth has also been of interest in the dry-land gardens. But the parts of the plant contain the alkaloids, and it is best grown as a dry-garden plant rather than a remedy, and the grazing animals should not be allowed to feed on it. For a grower, the foxtail sophora is an easy and interesting plant, and for a gardener of the dry regions it brings a dense, upright, creamy-white spike. The seeds are easy to start — give them a quick dip in warm water, then sow them just below the surface of a pot of moist, free-draining soil, keep them lightly watered, and theyll be sprouting steadily, growing on into a neat, creamy-white, spike-flowered plant.