White Stone Mountain Dendrobium

White Stone Mountain Dendrobium

White Stone Mountain Dendrobium is an agricultural product with geographical indication status.

　　White Stone Mountain Dendrobium is a rare and precious medicinal herb from Guiping City, with a long history of development and abundant wild resources. The Volume Seven of "Xunzhou Prefecture Annals," compiled during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, records under the category of local produce and medicinal herbs: “Dendrobium, also known as Golden Hairpin, commonly called Yellow Grass, is widely found in Xunzhou, with those produced in Guiping’s White Stone Mountain being of the finest quality.” Volume Nineteen of the "Guiping County Annals" published during the Republican era, under the section “Local Products – Produce,” states: “Dendrobium, also known as Golden Hairpin, commonly called Yellow Grass, is of the best quality when produced in White Stone Mountain.” Historical records indicate that the “Golden Hairpin Dendrobium” mentioned is, upon extensive research, the same as what is now referred to as “Iron Skin Dendrobium.”

　　Iron Skin Dendrobium (its dried form is also known as Iron Skin Dendrobium Dong Chong or Iron Skin Fengdou) is a premium species among the Orchidaceae family of Dendrobium plants. It earns its name from its iron-green colored epidermis and is valued for its unique health and medicinal benefits. Commonly known among the people as the “Life-Saving Immortal Grass,” modern medical and traditional Chinese medicine research shows that Iron Skin Dendrobium has multiple effects, including nourishing yin and clearing heat, resisting hypoxia, fighting fatigue, anti-aging, preventing tumors, treating diabetes and atrophic gastritis. It helps restore health in people exposed to smoking, alcohol, overwork, nightlife, excessive eye or brain strain, and those with hoarse vocal cords. It is also suitable for patients with various common illnesses, chronic diseases, post-surgical recovery, and those undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. For the elderly, it can enhance physical strength and prolong life. For women, it promotes fluid production, enriches blood, nourishes yin, moisturizes skin, and improves complexion. For men, it boosts essence, combats deficiency, maintains vitality, and contributes to family harmony.

　　The yield per unit area of Iron Skin Dendrobium is exceptionally high, especially for high-mimic wild varieties. In the spring of 2011, leaders and technicians from the Guiping City Agriculture Bureau, accompanied by two professors from the College of Agriculture at Guangxi University, visited Baishidongtian to investigate Iron Skin Dendrobium resources and cultivation conditions. They happened to encounter a farmer selling fresh, high-mimic wild Iron Skin Dendrobium with roots (whole plant harvested). Nearly 4 square meters yielded 9 kilograms, averaging 2.25 kilograms per square meter, sold at 2,600 yuan per kilogram, generating an income of 23,400 yuan. This equates to 5,850 yuan per square meter, or 2.34 million yuan per mu (calculated as 400 square meters). Further investigation shows that cultivating Iron Skin Dendrobium from tissue-cultured seedlings requires an investment of about 320 yuan per square meter. In the third year, during peak production, the annual yield is generally 1 kilogram (using a harvest method of removing old growth while retaining new), with a purchase price of 900 yuan per kilogram for finished products. This results in a yield of 900 yuan per square meter. Calculated on a one-mu basis (400 square meters of effective area), the yield is 360,000 yuan per mu. After deducting costs, the net profit is 232,000 yuan per mu.

　　To develop and protect the local wild resources of Iron Skin Dendrobium, around 1998, farmers in White Stone Mountain, Mazhong Town, began artificially domesticating wild seedlings, including experimental direct seeding. However, due to technical limitations, the scale was small and development slow. In recent years, with the support and guidance of agricultural authorities, tissue-cultured Iron Skin Dendrobium seedlings have been introduced to Guiping, breakthroughs have been made in direct seeding research, and the production of Iron Skin Dendrobium has entered a phase of rapid development. The number of growers has increased from 8 to over 200, and the cultivation area has grown from a few hundred square meters to more than 230 mu, spanning over 10 towns including Mazhong and Xishan. It is estimated that during peak production, the average annual yield per mu will reach 400 kilograms, with total production potentially exceeding 90,000 kilograms and a total value surpassing 100 million yuan.

　　Guiping City Plant Protection and Quarantine Station

　　Region Covered: 2013

　　Geographical Scope

　　The protected area for White Stone Mountain Dendrobium is located in the southeastern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, at elevations ranging from 33.3 to 1,313.6 meters. The Tropic of Cancer runs through the central part of the city, placing it within the South Subtropical Zone. The terrain is higher in the south and north, with plains, plateaus, and small hills predominating in the central region, and mid-to-low mountainous areas at both ends. It borders Pingnan County to the east, Rong County, Beiliu City, Yuzhou District, and Xingye County of Yulin City to the south, connects to Gangbei District of Guigang City to the west, and neighbors Wuxuan County and Jinxiu County of Laibin City to the north. The total boundary length is 375 kilometers, with a width of 69 kilometers from east to west and a length of 104 kilometers from north to south. The protected area for White Stone Mountain Dendrobium, an agricultural product with geographical indication, includes 26 towns and their 414 administrative villages, plus one state-owned forest farm: Mazhong, Youma, Shepo, Luobo, Mugen, Xishan, Mengwei, Shilong, Houlü, Baisha, Nanmu, Jintian, Dongxin, Zijing, Jiangkou, Mule, Mugui, Shizui, Mapi, Xunwang, Luoxiu, Zhongsha, Dayang, Shebu, Xiawan, Dawan. The designated region spans between 109°41′55″–110°22′48″ east longitude and 22°52′02″–23°48′04″ north latitude. The growing area covers 667 hectares, with an annual yield of 5,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: The stem is upright and cylindrical, measuring 6.0–39 cm in length and 2.3–7.5 mm in diameter. Leaves are mostly lanceolate or ovate, 1.4–4.0 cm long and 0.3–2.1 cm wide. Most plant groups exhibit leaves ranging from green-blue to light purple. Leaf sheaths feature purple speckles or spots. The raceme is pale yellow-green, gradually turning light yellow, then yellow to purple. The lip has purple stripes on both sides towards the back, with two purplish-red patches in the middle, positioned close together or nearly connected. Flowering period is from April to July. The taste is slightly sweet with a fragrant aroma, indicating superior quality. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: White Stone Mountain Dendrobium contains 28.1%–41.8% polysaccharides, 27.5%–38.0% mannose, and 1.5%–2.59% total amino acids, meeting the standards of the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia." (3) Safety Requirements: The selection of production sites and cultivation process for White Stone Mountain Dendrobium follow the "White Stone Mountain Dendrobium Production Technical Regulations," ensuring standardized production. Product quality complies with the "Chinese Pharmacopoeia" standards.