Gansu-Qinghai Dragonhead

Gansu-Qinghai Dragonhead

　　Tanggute Dragonhead, also known as "Gansu-Qinghai Dragonhead," is called "Zhiyangge" in Tibetan. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family, with an erect, square-shaped stem. The upper part is covered with retrorse and minute hairs, while the lower middle part is almost hairless. Short branches grow in the leaf axils. The leaves are opposite, with ovate or ovate-elliptic outlines that are slightly revolute. The upper surface is hairless, while the lower surface is densely covered with grayish-white short soft hairs. The flowers are blue-purple or dark purple. The small fruits are oblong and smooth. In Tibetan medicine, the above-ground parts of Tanggute Dragonhead are used for their medicinal properties, which include clearing liver heat, drying yellow water, healing sores, and stopping bleeding. It is used to treat conditions such as liver and stomach heat, non-healing sores caused by yellow water, and bleeding. Research by the Qinghai Plateau Cardiology Research Institute has shown that Tanggute Dragonhead also has therapeutic effects on heart disease and anti-hypoxia properties.