Saussurea laniceps

Saussurea laniceps, commonly known as the woolly sawtooth, is a rare medicinal herb found in the high-altitude alpine meadows of the Himalayas. Renowned in traditional medicine, it is valued for its therapeutic properties, particularly in treating respiratory ailments and regulating bodily functions through its unique bioactive chemical compounds.

  • Scientific name: Saussurea laniceps
  • Family: Asteraceae
  • Native range: Asia-Temperate

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is categorized within the order Asterales and the family Asteraceae. Finally, it is classified under the genus Saussurea.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Asterales WCVP
Family Asteraceae WCVP
Genus Saussurea WCVP

Common Names

This plant, known scientifically as Saussurea laniceps, is recognized by various regional names across different linguistic contexts. In Chinese, it is commonly referred to as 绵头雪兔子, 麦朵刚拉, or simply 雪兔子, with the specific designation 绵头雪兔子 also serving as the standard name in both mainland China (zh-cn) and Taiwan (zh-tw).
Language Common Name Source
zh 绵头雪兔子 Wikidata
zh-cn 绵头雪兔子 Wikidata
zh-tw 绵头雪兔子 Wikidata
zh 麦朵刚拉 Wikidata
zh 雪兔子 Wikidata
zh 绵头雪莲花 Wikidata
zh 雪莲花 Wikidata
zh 绵头雪兔子 Wikidata

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution across several high-altitude regions in Asia. Within China, it is primarily found in the South-Central areas. It also grows extensively throughout the Tibet region. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, the species can be located in the East Himalaya. Collectively, these regions define the natural habitat where this medicinal plant thrives.

Region Area Source
China China South-Central WCVP
China Tibet WCVP
Indian Subcontinent East Himalaya WCVP

Plant Parts

This plant, Saussurea laniceps, is a high-altitude medicinal species where the whole plant is utilized for its therapeutic properties. Because the entire organism holds significant pharmacological value, practitioners often collect the complete specimen—including the roots, stems, leaves, and flowering structures—to ensure the full spectrum of its bioactive compounds is captured for traditional medicinal preparations.
Total parts
1
Scientific sources
1
Plant Part Sources Confidence
whole plant 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Chemicals

Saussurea laniceps has 7 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, compound 14, coumarins, isochlorogenic acid A, lignins.

Total chemicals
7
Scientific sources
7

Most Reported Compounds

Compound Sources Confidence
Flavonoids 1 ★☆☆☆☆
compound 14 1 ★☆☆☆☆
coumarins 1 ★☆☆☆☆
isochlorogenic acid A 1 ★☆☆☆☆
lignins 1 ★☆☆☆☆
quercetin 1 ★☆☆☆☆
rutin 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Activities

Saussurea laniceps has 2 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antitumor.

Total activities
2
Scientific sources
2

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Confidence
Antioxidant 1 ★☆☆☆☆
Antitumor 1 ★☆☆☆☆

Medicinal Uses

Saussurea laniceps has 7 reported medicinal uses identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include anthrax, arthritis, gout, myocardial ischemia, pain.

Total uses
7
Scientific sources
7

Most Reported Uses

Use Sources Confidence
anthrax 1 ★☆☆☆☆
arthritis 1 ★☆☆☆☆
gout 1 ★☆☆☆☆
myocardial ischemia 1 ★☆☆☆☆
pain 1 ★☆☆☆☆
rheumatoid arthritis 1 ★☆☆☆☆
tumor 1 ★☆☆☆☆