cistanches rou cong rong

LATIN NAME: Cistanche deserticola

COMMON NAME: Desert Broomrape

The desert broomrape is the golden spike of the dry sands, and the small, tubular flowers crowd the fleshy stems. The leafless, parasitic, perennial plant rises as the pale, fleshy, unbranched stems with the small, scale-like leaves, the dense spikes of the small, tubular, yellow-gold flowers through the warm season, one of the fine, curious sights of the desert. The plant feeds on the roots of the desert shrubs, and it is a fine, historic presence of the dry collection. It is a plant of the open, sunny, deep, sandy ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The desert broomrape is a curious subject of the plant science, and the golden spikes keep showing up in the work on the parasitic plants. The way the plant feeds on the roots of the desert shrubs has been examined closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the parasitic angiosperms, the desert plants and the members of the broomrape family. The leafless stems and the dense spikes have also made it a fine study plant, and the desert broomrape is a regular subject of the work on the golden spikes of the dry world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The desert broomrape is a fine, curious plant of the dry collection and the desert garden. The dense spikes of the small, tubular, yellow-gold flowers rise through the warm season, one of the fine, curious sights of the desert, and the fleshy stems have a very long record in the old practice of the warm East as the tonic of the desert, dried into the small bundles of the old trade. The plant is one of the fine choices for the desert garden, the dry bed and the study collection, best grown with the host shrubs of its dry sands. It has been written up in the botanical and the herbal papers for the golden spikes and the desert ways, and it is a fine, curious plant of the open, sunny, deep, sandy garden.

Keep the bed free of the weeds, for the desert broomrape likes the clean, sandy ground around the host.

To grow the desert broomrape from seed, sow the tiny, round seeds on the surface of a tray of fine seed compost, without covering them, keep the tray in a bright, open spot and water gently, and plant the young seedlings close to the roots of the host shrubs. The seedlings come up in their own good time and grow on with the host. With the sun, the warmth and the deep, sandy ground, the golden spikes will rise through the warm season.

Cistanche is used to replenish blood and Kidney-Jin in Chinese Medicine. It is to use for impotence and disturbance of menstruation. Since the characteristic of this herb is warm (not hot), blend and sweet, thus it does not give a strong action.

1.Pharmaceutical name:Herba Cistanches Deserticolae
2.Latin botanical name:Cistance salsa Benth. et HookBoschniakia glabra C. A. Mey. (Japanese variety)
3.Common Name:cistanche, fleshy stem of the broomrape
4.Properties (characteristics):sweet, salty warm.
5.Channels (meridians) entered:large intestine, kidney
6.Actions & Indications
1)for impotence: due to shenyangxu (kidney yang deficient) condition
2)for constipation: due to qixu (qi deficient) or blood deficient
3)for infertility
4)for excessive uterine bleeding
5)for yeast infection from cold deficient womb
6)for high blood pressure
7)for bleeding of the kidneys and/or bladder
8)for inflammation of the kidneys
7.Cautions:not to use in case of diarrhea due to pixu (spleen deficient) .not to use in patient with heat sign.