Snow Lotus

Snow Lotus

　　Snow Lotus, also known as Gansu Arenaria or Tibetan "A Shen Ga Bao," is a perennial cushion-forming herbaceous plant of the Caryophyllaceae family, scientifically named Arenaria kansuensis. It grows to a height of 5–10 cm, featuring a long, deep main root with lateral branches. The stems grow in dense clusters from a common base, with the lower part becoming woody and the upper part forked. The leaves are opposite, stiff, and needle-like. Flowers bloom singly at the tips of the stems. The calyx has five lanceolate sepals, and there are five obovate petals that are shorter than the sepals and white in color. The filaments are thread-like, the capsule is spherical, and the plant produces numerous seeds.　　

　　Snow Lotus is mainly distributed in Huangnan, Guoluo, Yushu prefectures, Haidong region, and Golmud, growing in alpine meadows and gravel zones at elevations of 4,000–4,500 meters. The province has relatively abundant resources of this plant.

　　The entire Snow Lotus plant is used in traditional medicine and has unique therapeutic effects on influenza and pneumonia. It is a medicinal herb with significant potential for development and utilization.