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Hetian Dayun
Hetian’s specialty, Cistanche deserticola, is known as the “ginseng” of the desert. Cistanche deserticola is a perennial parasitic herb. They often grow in the roots of plants such as Haloxylon ammodendron, tamarisk, white thorn, jujube and artemisia in the desert, and rely on these plants to supply nutrients and water. It can grow to 50cm to 75cm in sandy soil without sunlight. When growing underground, it has no leaves and does not perform photosynthesis, so there is no chlorophyll synthesis. After being unearthed, the bolted seedling stems begin photosynthesis to synthesize chlorophyll, turning the yellow-brown scales into bluish-purple.
The unearthed Cistanche deserticola is covered with yellow scales, which is very similar to the armor worn by ancient warriors, hence the name "Black Commander". A single tube-flowered Cistanche deserticola resembles a weapon, with flowers and budding buds. The flowers are white when they first bloom, and later turn purple and have a fragrant smell. If the pieces of Cistanche deserticola are not collected in time, they will form clusters of white-purple flowers, which are very gorgeous.
A desert shrub usually harbors one brood of Cistanche deserticola, and up to five broods have been found. There is usually only one root parasitic tube per brood of Cistanche deserticola. The roots of the parasitic tube flower Cistanche deserticola no longer grow fibrous roots and lateral roots.
The height of Cistanche deserticola is generally 5-100 cm, cylindrical, and the medicinal fleshy stems are excavated in spring and autumn. The quality of the excavated stems is better before they are unearthed.
Our ancestors have known for a long time that Cistanche deserticola is edible and has nourishing medicinal properties. "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" states that it mainly treats "five labors and seven injuries, nourishing the middle, removing cold, heat and pain in the body, nourishing the five internal organs, strengthening yin, replenishing essence and qi, treating women's syndrome, taking it in the evening to lighten the body". "Famous Doctors" says that it can remove bladder evil, lower back pain and relieve dysentery. "Zhen Quan's Materia Medica" has a record of "beneficial marrow, pleasant color, curing women's hemorrhage, aphrodisiac for men, great tonic, main red and white lower part". Uighur doctors in Hotan also classify Cistanche deserticola as a tonic.
Cistanche deserticola tuberculata, "is a tonic agent, warm but not hot, tonic but not harsh, warm but not leaking, so it has the name of calm". And because the meat is thick and plump, it is called Cistanche deserticola. It also has noble aliases such as golden bamboo shoots and goblin. Because it is the favorite food of rabbits, Uyghur farmers in Hotan call it "Tushigan Zhaidike" (meaning yellow radish eaten by rabbits).
Hetian has a vast territory and a large area of ??desert. Among them, there are 1.5783 million acres of shrub desert suitable for the growth of Cistanche deserticola. Hotan is an important producing area of ??Cistanche deserticola in my country. Cistanches tuberosa is distributed in tamarisk shrub vegetation, with higher yields and better quality in the lower reaches of the Takriya River, Minfeng Salwusek, and Andil areas. From 1959 to 1988, Hotan *** purchased 2.1456 million kilograms of Cistanche deserticola. In recent years, more than 100,000 kilograms have been purchased every year. In order to expand the source of medicine and increase the production of Cistanche tuberosum, Li Dechuan and other comrades of Hotan Pharmaceutical Company have conducted observation and research on the growth habits and ecological environment of Cistanche tuberosum since 1973, and obtained the "Artificial Cultivation of Cistanche Tubuliflora" and " The two scientific research results of "Salted Cistanche deserticola Autumn-tubular flowers" have contributed to the development of the production of Cistanche deserticola tuberculata.
They have proven that Cistanches tuberosum can thrive in desert arid areas with annual rainfall of less than 40 mm, which is inseparable from the tenacious characteristics of its seeds and host shrubs such as tamarisk. After the Cistanche deserticola seeds in nature break away from the capsule and fly to the sandy ground, they will not rot for a long time due to the dry environment. The seeds float everywhere with the wind. Once they encounter the hairy root cells of the host shrubs such as tamarisk, they combine together to grow Cistanche deserticola reed heads. Because the main root of the shrub absorbs deep groundwater, Cistanche tuberosa reed heads can grow and develop. The reed heads get sufficient nutrients and water and gradually become thicker, and the tamarisk roots also gradually grow. At this time, the reed head will have a rounded sprouting tip. Reed heads can grow Cistanche deserticola for many years, but Cistanche deserticola matures in the same year it grows. Therefore, to be precise, Cistanches tubulosa is an annual plant. When talking about perennial, it refers to the reed head and its host. This kind of observational study provides a scientific basis for the artificial cultivation of Cistanche deserticola.
Cistanche deserticola is divided into spring-flowered Cistanche and autumn-flowered Cistanche deserticola based on the picking time. In the past, Hotan only purchased Cistanche deserticola. The harvesting of spring Cistanche deserticola starts in April every year. After drying under the hot summer sun, the flesh and ground stems are dried and then packaged and transported. The hollow period of harvesting Cistanche deserticola that grows in autumn is from September to October. Its individual size is slightly smaller than that of spring Cistanche deserticola, and its moisture content is the same as that of spring Cistanche deserticola. However, due to the weak sunlight, low temperature, and short sunshine time in late autumn and early winter, it is difficult to ensure quality and specifications.
In the autumn of 1981, Hotan Pharmaceutical Company sent people to Minfeng Lixin Commune to collect Cistanches autumn tube specimens for salted Cistanches autumn tube experiments. Tests conducted by the regional drug control institute have shown that the efficacy of Cistanche deserticola from the salt tube flower remains unchanged and is the same as that of the genuine Cistanche deserticola from the spring tube flower. The test was successful.
In order to develop Cistanche tuberosum production, Hotan people carefully protect the source of the medicine, protect the tamarisk and shrub forests that are the host of Cistanche tuberosum, strictly prohibit indiscriminate harvesting and logging, and work hard to establish a high-yield Cistanche deserticola base.