Orobanche pycnostachya

Orobanche pycnostachya, commonly known as the pycnostachya broomrape, is a unique parasitic plant lacking chlorophyll. It survives by extracting nutrients directly from host roots. While primarily studied for its specialized biological mechanisms, it holds significant interest in ethnobotany and traditional medicine due to its complex chemical composition and ecological role.

  • Scientific name: Orobanche pycnostachya
  • Family: Orobanchaceae
  • Native range: Asia-Temperate

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Orobanche pycnostachya, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae within the order Lamiales. Finally, it is a member of the family Orobanchaceae and falls under the genus Orobanche.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Lamiales WCVP
Family Orobanchaceae WCVP
Genus Orobanche WCVP

Common Names

This plant, Orobanche pycnostaachya, is known by several different common names depending on the linguistic context and regional usage. In Chinese, it is frequently referred to as 黄花列当 (huánghuā lièdāng), which is specifically written as 黄花列当 in mainland China (zh-cn) and 黃花列当 in Taiwan (zh-tw). It is also commonly known more broadly as 列当 (lièdāng) or by the descriptive name 独根草 (dúgēncǎo).
Language Common Name Source
zh 黄花列当 Wikidata
zh-cn 黄花列当 Wikidata
zh-tw 黃花列當 Wikidata
zh 列当 Wikidata
zh 独根草 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical range that spans across several distinct regions in Northeast Asia. In the Siberian territory, its presence is documented in the Chita region. The species is also widely distributed throughout the Russian Far East, specifically within the Amur, Khabarovsk, and Primorye areas. Moving into China, the plant can be found inhabiting the Inner Mongolia region. Together, these locations define the particular ecological niche where Orobanche pycnostachyas thrives.

Region Area Source
Siberia Chita WCVP
Russian Far East Amur WCVP
Russian Far East Khabarovsk WCVP
Russian Far East Primorye WCVP
China Inner Mongolia WCVP
China Manchuria WCVP
China China North-Central WCVP
China China Southeast WCVP
Mongolia Mongolia WCVP
Eastern Asia Korea WCVP

Chemicals

Orobanche pycnostachya has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 2'-acetylacteoside, acteoside, crenatoside, isoacteoside.

Total chemicals
4
Scientific sources
4

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
2'-acetylacteoside 1 ★☆☆☆☆
acteoside 1 ★☆☆☆☆
crenatoside 1 ★☆☆☆☆
isoacteoside 1 ★☆☆☆☆