Medicinal Plants

Saussurea medusa (Asteraceae) is known to Tibetan herb collectors as Ganglha Metok [gangs lha me tog], meaning glacier or snow deity flower. It is an important medicinal in Rigpa Sowa (Tibetan Medicine) and Traditional Chinese Medicine. In TCM it is known as "xue lian", meaning snow lotus. It grows way high up in the mountains, up to 5200m, and overcollection is of great concern. © Daniel Winkler, August 2, 2007, 4100m, Litang County, Ganzi TAP, W-Sichuan.	Stellera chamaejasme, a herbaceous relative of Daphne (Thymeleaceae), has traditionally been used to make paper in Tibet. It is also used in veterinary medicine to purge livestock from worms and other intestinal parasites. Stellera chamaejasme is known as "re-lcag-pa" in Tibetan medicine and in Chinese as Langqing. © Daniel Winkler, June 19, 2006, 4300m, above Tashigang - Ri Chu Valley, Meldrogongkar County, Lhasa, Tibet AR.

Rhubarb species from Litang. A variety of tall Rhubarb species (Rheum alexandrae, Rh. officinale, Rh. tanguticum, Rh. nobile) grow in Eastern Tibet. Their root is dug by locals and sold on markets. Its commonly used in Tibetan and traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM: Dahuang). © Daniel Winkler, August 2001, 3400m, Litang County, Ganzi TAP, W-Sichuan

Meconopsis integrifolia (Papaveraceae) below a Rhododendron from the 'nivale' group. Meconopsis, Himalayan poppy, is one of Tibet's most famous flowers and used as medicinal plant. © Daniel Winkler June 1999, 4300m, Litang County, Ganzi TAP, W-Sichuan	Meconopsis integrifolia, a truly high alpine Himalayan poppy. The hirsute (=hairy) of its leaves is an adaptation to coldness. I have seen it several times standing out in freshly snow-covered slopes. © Daniel Winkler, Kongpo Barla, Medro-Gongkar, Lhasa Prefecture, Tibet AR, June 2006
Meconopsis baileyi, the archetype of Himalayan poppy. © Daniel Winkler, Serkhyim La, Nyingchi County, Nyingchi Prefecture, Tibet AR, June 2006	See more Meconopsis species photos Close-up of Meconopsis aff. horridula, known in Tibetan Medicine as 'Utpala' . This one was found in Gyalthang County, in Pinyin formerly known as Zhongdian and currently known as Sangila, Dechen/Deqen TAP, NW-Yunnan. © Daniel Winkler, July 27, 2001
Planting bed for the orchid Gastrodia elata, which is known in TCM as Tianma (Gastrodia elata). Tubers of this orchid are planted between cut stems derived from deciduous trees. Along the sides of this lay-out wood chips in porous plastic bags are added. Tianma is a saprophytic perennial that does not carry out photosynthesis, but is fed by fungi, which live off decaying wood. One kilogram of Gastrodia tubers sold for around 360 Yuan ($45) within China and for $80-$90$ in Asia in 2002. © Daniel Winkler, November 2001, Barkam County, Aba TAP, W-Sichuan	Coming across a lily in most Tibetan areas occurs much less frequent than one would expect. This can be explained by the fact that lily bulbs are used as remedies in TCM. Also, Tibetans and Chinese like to eat the bulbs. This lily is Lilium taliense. © Daniel Winkler, 2800m, Zitsa Degu / Jiuzhaigou, W-Sichuan, July 1991.
Fritillaria cirrhosa (Liliaceae) is one of Tibet's most important medicinal plants. It's pea-sized white bulbs (see below) are sold dried for export down to China. In Tibetan it is known as "Pema (Padma)" and in Chinese as "Chuan Beimu". Also, they are used as a specialty ingredient for Chinese yaojiu - medicinal schnapps. © Daniel Winkler June 1997, 4150m, Riwoqe County, Qamdo Prefecture, Tibet AR	Incarvillea mairei (Begoniaceae). Incarvillea species are found all over the Tibetan Plateau. In central and western Tibet they send a stemless flower and a few leaves out over the windswept ground. In the Southeastern Plateau region some Incarvillea species reach up to 1.5m, one of them the yellow flowering Incarvillea lutea. © Daniel Winkler, June 1999, 4100m, Litang County, Ganzi TAP, W-Sichuan
Dried Tromar sold at the market in Eastern Tibet. © Daniel Winkler Litang, Kandze / Ganzi TAP, 1999	A medicinal according to Gawai Dorje and also a very interesting and tasty Tibetan food item is Droma (also transcribed as Troma /Tromar or Choma, Wylie: "gro-mar" and also "gro-lo sa-dzin", Pinyin: Juema). Often it is also called "Tibetan sweet potato", but it is not related to sweet potatoes at all. However, it sweet taste and starchy consistency is well compared to sweet potatoes, but Tromar is much smaller, often 1 to 3 cm long (0.4 to 1.2 in). In Europe and North America it is known as silverweed or cinquefoil. Botanically it was called Potentilla anserina, but now has been transferred to Argentina anserina. I was told the tuber is dug out in March and September. In late spring and summer, the tuber is not tasty, since its reserves are consumed by the fruiting plant or not fully restored yet. Once the tuber is dug out, I was told, it could be stored for long periods. Even one year should be possible. According to Guan Kaiyun (1998), it occurs between 2600m and 4300m (7000 and 14,000 ft) on grasslands, in alpine scrubs and around lakes. I find it mostly around settlements. It seems to thrive on humus rich topsoil in previously disturbed sites. Rockhill (1891) reports that `Choma' is also very popular in Mongolia, where it is known as `zuuna'. Rockhill continues “The Chinese call it `yao-miao-ken' or jen-shou-kuo [zhen shu guo?], fruit of respect and longevity, from its being sent to friends, with wishes for their welfare, by persons returning from the countries where it grows. In Kan-su the Chinese call it choma or chüem-ma. It is found in many parts of Chinese Turkestan [Xinjiang] but chiefly in eastern Tibet”. Rockhill states also, that Tromar is the only vegetable eaten by Amdo nomads. A closely related plant, Potentilla/ Argentina pacifica, which grows in coastal areas in the Pacific Northwest has been used as a vegetable by native American people (thanks to Steve Dupey for that information).