A multilocus phylogeny of the non-photosynthetic parasitic plant Cistanche (Orobanchaceae) refutes current taxonomy and identifies four major morphologically distinct clades.

Phylogenetic relationships of and within non-photosynthetic parasitic lineages are notoriously poorly known, which negatively affects our understanding of parasitic plants. This is also the case for Cistanche (Orobanchaceae), an Old World genus with about two dozen species, whose relationships have not yet been addressed using molecular phylogenetic approaches. Here we infer phylogenetic relationships within the genus, employing a taxonomically and geographically broad sampling covering all previously distinguished infrageneric groups and most of the currently recognized species. A combined matrix of three plastid markers (trnL-trnF, including the trnL intron and the intergenic spacer (IGS), trnS-trnfM IGS and psbA-trnH IGS) and one nuclear marker (ITS) was analyzed using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. Cistanche falls into four well-supported and geographically differentiated clades: East Asian Clade, Northwest African Clade, Southwest Asian Clade and Widespread Clade. Of those, only the East Asian Clade corresponds to a previously recognized taxonomic section, whereas the others either contain members of two or three sections (Widespread Clade and Southwest Asian Clade, respectively) or have not been taxonomically recognized so far (Northwest African Clade). Whereas the Southwest Asian Clade exhibits strong phylogenetic structure among and partly within species (the East Asian Clade and the Northwest African Clade are monospecific), phylogenetic resolution within the Widespread Clade is often low and hampered by discrepancies between nuclear and plastid markers. Both molecular and morphological data indicate that species diversity in Cistanche is currently underestimated.

[Preliminary study on variation pattern of Cistanche deserticola].

OBJECTIVE: Through analyze of shape, structure and content of effective components of Cistanche deserticola, the variation of "you cong rong" is discussed. METHOD: The color surface, texture, the size of pith and the arrange of vascular bundle was observed with freshed, dried drugs and the transverse section, the effective component of echinacoside and acteoside was analyzed with hplc and the amylose was analyzed with ultraviolet spectrophotometry. RESULT: The variation of "you cong rong" is obvious different with the common drug in shape and structure, the content of echinacoside is 2.5 times, acteoside is 3.8 times, amylose yield is 1.6 times and the content is 2 times of the common drugs. CONCLUSION: "you cong rong" is an independent variation pattern of C. deserticola, it has no relationship with the ecological and geographical conditions.

[Study on reproduction biology of Cistanche deserticola--seedling emergence and flowering].

OBJECTIVE: To study the reproduction characteristic of Cistanche deserticola. METHOD: The reproduction characteristic and growing dynamic in Ningxia plantation were investigated, the contents of boschnaloside and echinacoside were determined during reproduction period. RESULT: The germination period of C. deserticola was in the first ten days of the month, the duration from the germination to flowering lasted about one month. The contents of boschnaloside and echinacoside decreased during reproduction period. CONCLUSION: The reproduction period of C. deserticolais lasts about two months, germination period of C. deserticola is the suitable harvest time.

[The determination of echinacoside and acteoside in herbs of Cistanche tubulosa].

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the echinacoside and acteoside content of Cistanche tubulosa, collected from different hosts and different size of the cultivated, which is compared to the wilding by RP-HPLC method. METHOD: An Agilent Eclipse XDB-C18(4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column was used and a mixture of methanol-acetonitrile-1% acetic acid (15:10:75) was used as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.6 mL x min(-1). The column temperature was 30 degrees C and the UV detection wavelength was 334 nm. RESULT: The calibration curves of echinacoside and acteoside were in good linearity over the range of 0.904-9.04 microg (r = 0.999 9), and 1.27-12.7 microg (r = 0.999 9) respectively and the average recoveries of echinacoside (and acteoside) were 98.9% (n = 5, RSD 1.9%), and 97.0% (n = 5, RSD 0.97%). CONCLUSION: The method is simple, quick, acurate. In all of the samples, the contents of echinacoside is markedly more than that of acteoside, the content of the two active component in the wilding is higher than that in the planting. The content of sample in the different sizes gradually increase from the big to the small, and the contents of samples collected from the different hosts vary markedly. These results are useful for the quality evaluation of medicinal materials of C. tubulosa.

[Morphotype diversity of Cistanche deserticola].

OBJECTIVE: To provide theoretical basis for selecting high quality seeds by studying the modality diversity of Cistanche deserticola. METHOD: Four populations were collected in the field and its biodiversity was studied by comparative morphoaanatory to identify its mutation of nutrition organ and reproduction organ in laboratory and herbarium. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: There are several types of C. deserticola that come from different types, which results in the difference in pharmacody and effect of medicine.

[The morphological and histological identification of Boschniakia rossica].

In this paper the descriptions and microscopic characters of Boschniakia rossica were recounted. The evidences of the identication were presented. The differences between Boschniakia rossica and its similar species Cistanche deserticola and Cynomrium songaricum were also summed up. Boschniakia rossica: Stem thin. Cross section hollow, brittle in texture, with cortex. Stele vascular bundles arranged in ring, pith obvious. Cistanche deserticola and Cynomrium songaricum: Stem thick and strong. Cross section solid, without cortex. Hard in texture. Pith unobvious. The stele vascular bundle of Cistanche deserticola arranged in wavy ring. That of Cynomrium songaricum irregularly arranged.

[Identification and survey of commercial crude drug of Herba Cistanchis].

This paper deals with the morphological identification, TLC analysis and survey of commercial crude drug of Herba Cistanchis (Genus Cistinche). This results provide authentic methods for the identification of Herba Cistanchis.