Milkvetches, Astragalus spp., are leguminous herbs of or shrubs, predominantly found in arid or semi-arid climates around the Northern Hemisphere. They are a large group of Plants, with 3082 species recognised in 2025, this is largely because many species are highly endemic (i.e. have very limited ranges). Such limited ranges can make species extremely vulnerable to extinction, though to date only 149 species of Astragalus have been formerly assessed to determine their status under the terms of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, with 36% of these being determined to be threatened, and one, the Tallante's Milkvetch, Astragalus nitidiflorus, has been found to be extinct in the wild.
Thirty two species of Astragalus have been recorded in Uzbekistan, more than any other genus in the country. Most of these are found within the low mountain ranges of the Kyzylkum Desert, a notable centre of Plant endemism covering parts of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. Within this desert a series of low mountain ranges (typically lower than 1000 m) form a western extension of the Central Asian Mountain Belt, creating a range of distinctive micro-habitats. promoting Plant endemism. Of the forty two species of Astragalus known from this region, six are thought to be entirely endemic.
In a paper published in the journal Orynx on 18 February 2026, Bekhruz Khabibullaev, Khabibullo Shomurodov, and Natalya Beshko of the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Giuseppe Fenu of the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Cagliari, formally assess the conservation status of Astragalus centralis, referred to here as the Tamditau Milkvetch, an endemic species from the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan.
The Tamditau Milkvetch is a perennial herbaceous Plant reaching about 15 cm in height, with stems covered in white hairs, paired leaves, and dense inflorescences of yellow flowers. It was formerly thought to be present in the Tamditau, Kuldzhuktau, and Auminzatau mountain ranges within the Kyzylkum Desert. However, a previous study, published in 2016, established that the populations in the Kuldzhuktau and Auminzatau mountains were in fact a separate species, which was described as Astragalus kuldzhuktauense.
As a result of this, the known occurence of Astragalus centralis shrank to a single population in the Tamditau Mountains, prompting monitoring and censuses of the species in 2016-17, 2018-19, and 2023-24, each time assessing the number of Plants present at the peak of the flowering season.
The Tamditau Milkvetch grows on northern slopes in the Tamditau Mountains, in crevices between large boulders in gravelly and rocky limestone soils. All known members of the species are found within an area of 60 000 m². During the 2016-17 season, about 1000 Plants were recorded, but in 2018-19 this had fallen to about 600 individuals, within an increased proportion of older Plants (80% against 50% in 2016-17. In 2023-24 only 491 Plants were recorded, with 90% of these being mature.
The species appears to be facing a number of immediate threats. Limestone is extracted in the region, and new excavation trenches are both present and increasing in number within the range of the Tamditau Milkvetch. The population is also located close to a settlement which primarily derives its income from livestock herding, with the area where the species grows being used as a year-round pasture. Climate change appears to be making the area more arid, and Insects have been observed to consume more of the species seeds in dryer years. This drying climate is also associated with more frequent and intense spring flash floods, which can destroy younger Plants with less well established root systems. The species is also vulnerable to short-term cold anticyclones, which occur in the area every 5-6 years.
Based upon this, Khabibullaev et al. suggest that the Tamditau Milkvetch is becoming unable to sustain its only population, due to a low and decreasing survival rate for young Plants. For this reason they recommend that the species be classified as Critically Endangered under the terms of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.
Based upon this, Khabibullaev et al. recommend a series of steps to be taken in order to protect the future of the Tamditau Milkvetch.
Firstly, the species habitat should be designated a protected area. This would not just protect this species, but also other species found in the area which have been identified as at risk, including the Kyzylkum Giant Fennel, Ferula kyzylkumica, the Aktavi Stickseed, Lappula aktaviensis, The Kyzylkum Peppergrass, Lepidium subcordatum, the Hairy Catchfly, Silene tomentella, and the Aktau Needlegrass, Stipa aktauensis. They further recommend that the Tamditau Mountains should be considered to be a significant national ecosystem, and assessed for potential inclusion on the nternational Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Ecosystems.
Secondly, they recommend that an inventory of pasture resources in the region is carried out, in order to determine the sustainable grazing capacity of the area, and develop a better plan for livestock management.
Thirdly, they suggest a translocation strategy for the species, moving individual Plants to other areas identified as suitable for its survival.
Fourthly, they suggest that a cultivated population be established at the Kyzylkum Desert Experimental Station, and seeds of the species be gathered and placed in an appropriate seed bank.
Finally, they suggest that the species be included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, and an awareness campaign for the species be used to promote its conservation.
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