Common Name:

General Information

Cistanche salsa is a a perennial, parasitic plant with an erect, usually unbranched, fleshy stem that can grow from 10 - 45cm tall[].
The plant is often used in traditional Chinese medicine, being harvested from the wild and sold in local markets.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Temperate Asia - Transcaucasus, Turkey to Israel, east through Kazakhstan and Iran to Mongolia, northern and central China

Habitat

Parasitic, growing on slopes, usually on plants of the Chenopodiaceae; at elevations from 700 - 2,700 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A full parasite, the plant is totally dependant upon its host for food and does not produce its own chlorophyll[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The stems, (known as Rou Cong Rong), are used in Chinese medicine where they are considered to have a sweet, salty and warm taste, and to act upon the kidney and large meridian. Their function is to replenish the kidney yang and to act as a mild laxative. They are used in the treatment of impotence, female infertility, premature ejaculation, frequent micturation and chronic constipation of the old[, ].

The plant is contraindicated for a person with diarrhoea[].

Use of the plant has been shown to lower blood pressure, increase salivation and increase body weight[].
Reports have shown that use of the plant has a beneficial effect upon male fertility, may attenuate tinnitus in patients with chronic nephritis, and can also provide an effective treatment for osteoporosis[]

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -