Tibetan Medicine - Saussurea Involucrata

Tibetan Medicine – Introduction of Saussurea Involucrata

The Saussurea Involucrata is also named snow rabbit, snow lotus, thumb flower etc. It is the plant in Composite family. In Tibet, there are 83 kinds Saussureae plants with alpine plant characteristics. Among them, there are 30 kinds named Saussurea Involucrata. The Saussurea Involucrata is cespitose herb which stem is about 1cm to 30 cm. The stem is straight, with withered petiole on the base part. The leaves of Saussurea Involucrata is very dense and in the shapes of long circle or cochlear, with blunt apex and serrulate edge. The base part gradually becomes narrower and forms petiole. The bud is on the end of the stem, in the shape of wide tube. The bracts of the bud are ovate-lanceolate or linear-oblong. The apex of the bract is acute. The small flowers in the bud are amaranth, about 10mm long. The pappus is hazel. The achene is black, about 3cm to 4cm long.

Tibetan Medicine – Locality of Growth of Saussurea Involucrata

The places of origin of the Saussurea Involucrata include Darjiang, Gongjue, Basu, Qamdo, Chayu, Baqing, Anduo, Lhasa,Nagarze, Kangma, Sakya, Tingri, Jilong, Sage, Zhongba, Gaer, Shuanghu and other districts of Tibet. It distributes on high mountains, grassland, meadow and hillside or in the azalea clump where altitude is about 4200 meters to 5350 meters. There are Saussurea Involucrata in Sichuan, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Gansu.

Tibetan Medicine – Function of Saussurea Involucrata

The entire Saussurea Involucrata can be medicine. The umbelliferone in it has effective function on antibiosis, bringing high blood pressure down and spasmolysis. The gelseminic acid in it has effect on relieving rheumatic pains, allaying inflammation, relieving pain and eliminating phlegm. The apigenin in it has the function of resisting gastric ulcer. The sitosterol in it has effect on lowering blood pressure and cholesterol in the liver. Besides, the Saussurea Involucrata also contains Apigenin -7- glucoside and Umbelliferone -7- glucoside etc.

Tibetan Medicine – Collection of Saussurea Involucrata

The Saussurea Involucrata is collected in June and July when it bloom. To pull up the entire plant, remove sand and dry it.