Xinjiang Lithospermum

Xinjiang Lithospermum

　　Xinjiang Lithospermum (also known as Xinjiang soft lithospermum) is distributed on both the northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, the western part of Tibet, as well as in Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asia of the former Soviet Union, Siberia, and other regions. It grows at altitudes of 2,500 to 4,200 meters on mountainous gravelly sunny slopes, alluvial fans, grasslands, and meadows, where the environment features strong solar radiation, large diurnal temperature variations, and relatively good vegetation. Xinjiang is the main production area of Xinjiang Lithospermum in China, with major production in Hejing County's Bayinbuluke Mountainous Area in the Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture; Kuqa, Baicheng, Wensu, Wushi, and Akqi counties and cities in the Aksu Region; Artux and Wuqia in the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture; Bole, Jinghe, and Wenquan in the Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture; and the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, where it was once widely distributed but has significantly declined due to over-harvesting.

　　 Xinjiang Lithospermum (Arnebia euchroma(Royle) Johnst) is a perennial herbaceous plant growing 15–35 cm tall, with the entire plant covered in white coarse hairs. The roots are purple and often twisted. The stem is single or bifurcates from the base; the basal leaves grow in clusters, are lanceolate-linear or linear, measuring 5–25 cm long and 0.5–3 cm wide, and are entire-edged; the stem leaves are alternate, resembling the basal leaves but smaller. The scorpioid cyme is densely clustered at the top of the stem, nearly head-shaped; the bracts are leaf-like, linear-lanceolate, and covered in stiff hairs; the calyx is short and tubular, with 5 lobes; the corolla is long-tubular, light purple or purple, about 10 mm long, with 5 lobes, the lobes being elliptical, with the throat and base smooth and hairless; there are 5 stamens, attached to the middle of the corolla tube, with very short or absent filaments; the ovary is deeply 4-lobed, the style is slender, and the stigma is spherical. The nutlets are bony, broadly ovate, about 4 mm long, light brown, and have warty protrusions. The thousand-seed weight is 9–11 g. The flowering period is June to July, and the fruiting period is August to September.