''Galega'', goat's rue, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

, Fabaceae,

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to central and southern Europe, western Asia and tropical east Africa. They are tall, bushy,

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s with erect racemes of pea-like flowers in shades of white, pink, blue or mauve. Their preferred habitats are sunny damp meadows or slopes. The species '' Galega officinalis'' and '' Galega orientalis'' are familiar in cultivation. Numerous

cultivars A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...

and garden

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

s have also been produced, of which ''G.'' × ''hartlandii'' 'Lady Wilson' (bicoloured blue and white) and the white-flowered ''G.'' × ''hartlandii'' 'Alba' have both gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. There are about 6González‐Andrés, F., et al. (2004)
Management of ''Galega officinalis'' L. and preliminary results on its potential for milk production improvement in sheep.
''New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research'' 47(2) 233-45. to 8Balezentiene, L. Introduction and agro economical value of ''Galega orientalis'' Lam. 3rd International Symposium on Weeds and Invasive Plants. Ancona, Switzerland. October 2–7, 2011. species in the genus. Species include: *'' Galega albiflora'' *'' Galega battiscombei'' *'' Galega lindblomii'' *'' Galega officinalis'' - goat's rue, professor-weed *'' Galega orientalis'' - fodder galega

References

{{Galactagogues Galegeae Fabaceae genera