Cistanche deserticola is a holoparasitic member of the plant family Orobanchaceae, commonly known as desert-broomrape.[1]
| Cistanche deserticola | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Genus: | Cistanche |
| Species: | C. deserticola
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| Binomial name | |
| Cistanche deserticola | |
The plant lacks chlorophyll and obtains its nutrients and water in a parasitic fashion from the black saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron) and white saxaul (Haloxylon persicum).[citation needed]
Description
editCistanche deserticola is a perennial hardy, shrub-like herb 40–160 centimetres (1 ft 4 in – 5 ft 3 in) tall. It is shaped somewhat like a cross between a pine cone and a pineapple, with thick, fleshy stems and large, yellow flowers that grow smaller at the plant's apex. [citation needed]
Distribution
editCistanche deserticola is widely distributed in China's deserts including the provinces of Gansu,[1] Shaanxi, and Qinghai, and the Autonomous Regions of Xinjiang,[1] Ningxia,[1] and Inner Mongolia.[1]
Traditional uses
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Along with other members of the genus Cistanche, Cistanche deserticola is a noted source of the Chinese herbal medicine cistanche (Chinese: 肉苁蓉; pinyin: ròucōngróng), commonly called Rou Cong Rong. Pharmaceutical materials, known in Chinese as suosuo dayuan (Chinese: 索索大元), are produced by slicing the stems of the plant. Inner Mongolia is the top native-producing area of the species; annual production is about 70 tons. The stems are gathered in the spring, when the sprouts have not come out of the ground or have just come up, dried in the sun and cut into slices for medicinal use[citation needed]. Cistanche deserticola has been placed on CITES Appendix 2, a list of endangered species not banned from trade but requiring monitoring.[2] With increased consumption of cistanche, the population of the species has decreased and its area of distribution has shrunk. Aside from over-collection or indiscriminate collection, an important factor in the diminished supply of cistanche is a loss of the saxaul host, which is widely used for firewood.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Cistanche deserticola was first described and published in Acta Scientiarum Naturalium Universitatis Intramongolicae 1960(1):63. 1960. "Cistanche deserticola". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
- ^ "Appendices I, II and III". CITES. May 22, 2009. Archived from the original on November 16, 2008. Retrieved March 1, 2010.
- ^ "Cistanche Tubulosa and Deserticola: An In Depth Analysis". August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
External links
edit- Picture of Cistanche deserticola from the Documentation Center for Species Protection
- Cistanche and Endangered Species Issues Affecting the Herb Supply
