Perspectives in taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Astragalus (Fabaceae): a review

The genus Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) is reviewed from both phyloenetic and taxonomic points of view. As the largest genus of flowering plants it has attracted many researchers, but much work remains to be done. A short taxonomic history with special focus on infrageneric classification of the genus, a list of phylogenetic studies including the applied markers and sampling strategies as well as a short discussion on evolution of morphological characters are presented.