How to distinguish different types of Cistanche

Cistanche deserticola is a dry, fleshy fleshy stem of Cistanche deserticola. It has the functions of tonifying kidney yang, essence and blood, and laxative. In recent years, due to shortage of drug sources, confusion products have appeared on the market. The traits of these adulterants are very similar to genuine ones and are easily confusing in procurement. The traits of Cistanche deserticola, Cistanche tubulosa, Cinnamomum camphora, Cistanche deserticola, and Cistanche deserticola of Xinjiang were compared for identification.

Cistanche: flat cylindrical, slightly curved, 3 to 5 cm long, 2 to 8 cm in diameter, brown or gray brown surface. A dense, wattled array of fleshy scaly leaves, usually with a broken tip. Weight, hard, slightly flexible, not easily broken, cross-section brown, light brown spotted vascular bundles, arranged in wavy ring pattern. The gas tastes sweet and bears bitterness.

Cistanche tubulosa: flat, cylindrical, flat, oval, oblate, etc. Irregular, 6 to 8 cm long, 4 to 6.5 cm in diameter, reddish-brown, grayish brown or tan on the surface. distortion. The fleshy scales, densely imbricate and imbricate, are densely scattered in the upper part and lower, and the apex of scales has been cut off. The width of the base is more than 1 cm. The entire scale is slightly elongated and about 1 cm high. Weight, quality, toughness, no toughness, hard to break, cross-section granular, mostly gray-brown, some outer hard black glial sample. Dark brown spotted vascular bundles are numerous, irregularly scattered, and some have small cracks. Gas slightly, sweet and bitter.

Saussurea Cistanche: Cylindrical, ovate-shaped to oblong-lanceolate, 1–2.5 cm long and 4–8 cm wide. Spikes are cylindrical, sepals short, ovate-lanceolate. The skin is yellow-brown, with indeterminate stomata, hard and inflexible, and light brown vascular bundles on the cross section, arranged in a chrysanthemum pattern. Gas slightly, taste slightly salty bitter.

Cistanche: Single stem, straight, 15 to 35 centimeters long, 0.5 to 1 centimeter in diameter, dark brown or brown, with longitudinal gutters and white short villi. Leaves alternate, scaly or lanceolate, slightly wrinkled, 0.8-1.5 cm long, yellow-brown. The upper part of the stalk is spikelike, with 5 to 10 cm long hairs, and the lower part of the flower is evacuated. The upper part of the flower is intensively evacuated, the flowers are shriveled, and they are lip-shaped after being flattened. They are 1.5 to 1.8 cm long and are yellow-brown or lavender. Some spikes have pods in the lower part of the ear. They are elliptical and about 1 cm long and brown. Hard and brittle, easy to break, cross-section white, with an irregular brown ring in the middle. Odorless, tasteless.

Xinjiang Sardinia cinnamomea: Cone-shaped or spindle-shaped, 30 cm long. It is 5-9 cm wide, and the scales on the lower part of the stem are sparse, dense on the upper part, and the stems of the scales are broad. Weight, quality, hard to break, brown and black section, a bit like vascular bundles scattered, some hollow. Gas slightly, sweet and slightly bitter.