View source for Saussurea

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Saussurea alpina esthonica - Eesti soojumikas - Niitvälja soo2.jpg
| image_caption = [[Saussurea alpina ssp. esthonica|''Saussurea alpina'' ssp. ''esthonica'']]
| display_parents = 3
| taxon = Saussurea
| authority = [[A. P. de Candolle|DC.]]
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://dixon.iplantcollaborative.org/CompositaeWeb/default.aspx?Page=NameDetails&TabNum=0&NameId=911d0217-de19-41b5-b272-81bbfca864dd |title=Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist |access-date=2015-01-06 |archive-date=2015-01-06 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150106215004/http://dixon.iplantcollaborative.org/CompositaeWeb/default.aspx?Page=NameDetails&TabNum=0&NameId=911d0217-de19-41b5-b272-81bbfca864dd |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| synonyms = {{hidden begin|title = List}} 
* ''Aplotaxis'' <small>DC.</small>
* ''Bennettia'' <small>Gray</small>
* ''Cyathidium'' <small>Lindl. ex Royle</small>
* ''Diplazoptilon'' <small>Y.Ling</small>
* ''Eriocoryne'' <small>Wall. ex DC.</small>
* ''Eriocoryne'' <small>Wall.</small>
* ''Eriostemon'' <small>Less.</small>
* ''Haplotaxis'' <small>Endl.</small>
* ''Hemistepta'' <small>Bunge</small>
* ''Hemisteptia'' <small>Bunge ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.</small>
* ''Heterotrichum'' <small>M.Bieb.</small>
* ''Lagurostemon'' <small>Cass.</small>
* ''Poecilotriche'' <small>Dulac</small>
* ''Pilostemon'' <small>Iljin</small>
* ''Polytaxis'' <small>Bunge</small>
* ''Theodorea'' <small>(Cass.) Neck. ex Cass.</small>
{{hidden end}}
}}

'''''Saussurea''''' is a genus of about 300 species of [[flowering plant]]s in the tribe [[Cardueae]] within the family [[Asteraceae]], native to cool [[temperate]] and [[arctic]] regions of [[East Asia]], Europe, and North America, with the highest diversity in [[alpine climate|alpine]] habitats in the [[Himalayas]] and East Asia. Common names include '''saw-wort''' and '''snow lotus''', the latter used for a number of high altitude species in East Asia.

They are [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[herbaceous]] plants, ranging in height from dwarf alpine species 5–10&nbsp;cm tall, to tall [[thistle]]-like plants up to 3 m tall. The [[leaf|leaves]] are produced in a dense basal rosette, and then spirally up the flowering stem. The [[flower]]s form in a dense head of small [[inflorescence|capitula]], often surrounded by dense white to purple woolly hairs; the individual florets are also white to purple. The wool is densest in the high altitude species, and aids in the thermoregulation of the flowers, minimising frost damage at night and also preventing [[ultraviolet light]] damage from the intense high-altitude sunlight.

De Candolle named the genus after [[Horace-Bénédict de Saussure]] (1740–1799) and [[Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure]] (1767–1845).<ref>Candolle, A.P. de, in ''Annales du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle.'' 16:197-198</ref>

==Uses==
A number of the high alpine Himalayan species are grown as [[ornamental plant]]s for their decorative dense woolly flowerheads; they are among the most challenging plants to grow, being adapted to harsh climates from 3500 to 5000 m altitude, demanding cool temperatures, a very long (up to 8–10 months) winter rest period, and very good soil drainage in humus-rich gravel soils.

===Traditional uses ===
[[file:Snow_Lotus_at_Doi_Chang_Mup_บัวหิมะ_ขายอยู่ที่_ดอยช้างมูบ.jpg|thumb|left|Snow lotus tubers selling in [[Chiang Rai Province|Chiang Rai]], Thailand]]
'''''Costi amari radix''''' or '''costus root''' was an important item of [[Roman trade with India]], and is believed to have been the dried root of ''[[Saussurea lappa]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 11100933 | year = 2000 | last1 = Moeslinger | first1 = T | last2 = Friedl | first2 = R | last3 = Volf | first3 = I | last4 = Brunner | first4 = M | last5 = Koller | first5 = E | last6 = Spieckermann | first6 = PG | title = Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthesis by the herbal preparation Padma 28 in macrophage cell line | volume = 78 | issue = 11 | pages = 861–6 | journal = Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology | doi=10.1139/cjpp-78-11-861}}</ref>

Several varieties of snow lotus are used in traditional Tibetan medicine. ''Saussurea lappa'' is used a component of the traditional Tibetan medicine Padma 28.  Research conducted on the Himalayan medicinal plants by [[C.P. Kala]] reveals that the practitioners of Tibetan medicine living in the Pin Valley of Himachal Pradesh use its root for curing dysentery and ulcer.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kala|first=Chandra Prakash|title=Indigenous uses, population density and conservation of threatened medicinal plants in protected areas of India Himalaya|journal=Conservation Biology|year=2005|volume=19|issue=2|pages=368–378|doi=10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00602.x|s2cid=85324142 }}</ref> ''[[Saussurea laniceps]]'' '', [[Saussurea involucrata]]'' and ''Saussurea medusa'' flowers and stems have long been used in [[traditional Chinese medicine]] for the treatment of [[rheumatoid arthritis]], cough with cold, stomachache, [[dysmenorrhea]], and altitude sickness, and has been found to have antiinflammatory and analgesic effects,<ref>{{cite journal | pmid =  16141525 | year =  2005 | last1 =  Jia | first1 =  JM | last2 =  Wu | first2 =  CF | last3 =  Liu | first3 =  W | last4 =  Yu | first4 =  H | last5 =  Hao | first5 =  Y | last6 =  Zheng | first6 =  JH | last7 =  Ji | first7 =  YR | title =  Antiinflammatory and analgesic activities of the tissue culture of Saussurea involucrata | volume =  28 | issue =  9 | pages =  1612–4 | journal =  Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin | doi=10.1248/bpb.28.1612| doi-access =  free }}</ref> as well as cardiotonic, abortifacient, anticancer,<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 32766303 | year = 2020 | last1 = Shati | first1 = AA | last2 = Alkahtani | first2 = MA | last3 = Alfaifi | first3 = MY | last4 = Elbehairi | first4 = SEI | last5 = Elsaid | first5 = FG | last6 = Prasanna | first6 = R | last7 = Mir| first7 = MA   | title = Secondary Metabolites of Saussurea costus Leaf Extract Induce Apoptosis in Breast, Liver, and Colon Cancer Cells by Caspase-3-Dependent Intrinsic Pathway | volume = 2020 | journal = BioMed Research International | pages = 1–11 | doi = 10.1155/2020/1608942 | pmc = 7374224 | doi-access = free }}</ref> and antifatigue actions. {{Citation needed|date=September 2017}} [[Saussurea laniceps]] have been proven to be more effective than ''[[Saussurea involucrata]] and Saussurea medusa.'' <ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Yi|first1=Tao|last2=Zhao|first2=Zhong-Zhen|last3=Yu|first3=Zhi-Ling|last4=Chen|first4=Hu-Biao|date=2010-03-24|title=Comparison of the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of three medicinal plants known as "Snow Lotus" herb in traditional Uighur and Tibetan medicines|journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology|volume=128|issue=2|pages=405–411|doi=10.1016/j.jep.2010.01.037|issn=1872-7573|pmid=20083181|url=https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2652&context=hkbu_staff_publication|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

''Saussurea obvallata''  is one of the most sacred species in India, and has been used for offerings to goddess Nanda Devi for time immemorial.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kala|first=Chandra Prakash|title=Medicinal Plants of the Indian Trans Himalaya: Focus on Tibetan Use of Medicinal Resources|year=2003|publisher=Bishan Singh Mahendra Pal Singh|location=Dehradun|isbn=8121101808|pages=200|url=http://www.saujanyabooks.com/details.aspx?id=14874&ISBN=8121101808/Medicinal-Plants-of-Indian-Trans-Himalaya_Focus-on-Tibetan-Use-of-Medicinal-Resources/Kala-C.P.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kala|first=Chandra Prakash|title=Medicinal Plants of Uttarakhand: Diversity, Livelihood and Conservation|year=2010|publisher=BioTech Books|location=Delhi|isbn=9788176222099|pages=188|url=http://www.vedamsbooks.in/no83754/medicinal-plants-uttarakhand-diversity-livelihood-conservation-chandra-prakash-kala}}</ref>

==Pharmacology==
''Saussurea lappa'' and has been shown to inhibit the [[mRNA]] expression of [[iNOS]] by [[lipopolysaccharide]] stimulated [[macrophages]], thus reducing [[nitric oxide]] production.{{citation needed|date=December 2011}}  In rats, high doses of 50-200 milligrams per kilogram of crude ethanolic extract reduced observed inflammation in standard laboratory tests, and 25-100 milligrams per kilogram of the [[sesquiterpene]] fraction of the extract reduced several molecular markers of inflammation.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 12916066 | year = 2003 | last1 = Damre | first1 = AA | last2 = Damre | first2 = AS | last3 = Saraf | first3 = MN | title = Evaluation of sesquiterpene lactone fraction of Saussurea lappa on transudative, exudative and proliferative phases of inflammation | volume = 17 | issue = 7 | pages = 722–5 | doi = 10.1002/ptr.1152 | journal = Phytotherapy Research| s2cid = 39651463 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | pmid =  12222664 | year =  2002 | last1 =  Gokhale | first1 =  AB | last2 =  Damre | first2 =  AS | last3 =  Kulkami | first3 =  KR | last4 =  Saraf | first4 =  MN | title =  Preliminary evaluation of anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity of S. Lappa, A. Speciosa and A. Aspera | volume =  9 | issue =  5 | pages =  433–7 | journal =  Phytomedicine | doi=10.1078/09447110260571689}}</ref>  Ethanol extracts were shown to have analgesic and antiinflammatory effects at high doses of 75-300 milligrams per kilogram.  As the slow-growing wild plant is endangered by collections, a substitute grown in tissue culture has been suggested, which is mostly equivalent.  Generally the analgesic and antiinflammatory effects of the plant are much inferior to those of [[indometacin]].

===Literature and culture===
In most Chinese martial arts literature, the snow Lotus was classified a rare herb as precious as [[lingzhi mushroom]], and old [[ginseng]].

==Selected species==
{{Main list|List of Saussurea species}}
[[File:Saussurea pygmaea (Zwerg-Alpenscharte) IMG 27963.JPG|thumbnail|''Saussurea pygmaea'']]
[[File:Saussurea gossypiphora Himalaya.jpg|thumbnail|''Saussurea gossypiphora'']]
[[File:Brahmakamal Kaluvinayak Chamoli Uttarakhand 2014-08-23.jpg|thumbnail|''Saussurea obvallata'']]
[[File:Saussurea alpina esthonica - Niitvälja bog.jpg|thumb|''Saussurea alpina'' with seeds]]

{{div col|colwidth=350px}}
* ''Saussurea abnormis''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea acrophila''. China.
* ''Saussurea albescens''. Western Himalaya.
* ''[[Saussurea alpina]]''. '''common saw-wort'''. Northern and central Europe, northwest Asia.
* ''Saussurea amara''. China, Russia.
* ''[[Saussurea americana]]''. '''American saw-wort'''. Western North America.
* ''Saussurea amurensis''. China.
* ''Saussurea angustifolia''. '''narrowleaf saw-wort'''. Arctic northeast Asia, Alaska, Canada.
* ''Saussurea auriculata''. Himalaya, western China.
* ''Saussurea bhutkesh''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea bodinieri''. China.
* ''Saussurea bullockii''. China.
* ''Saussurea cana''. China.
* ''Saussurea candolleana''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea ceratocarpa''. Kashmir.
* ''Saussurea chinnampoensis''. China.
* ''Saussurea chrysotricha''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea controversa''. Russia.
* ''Saussurea cordifolia''. China.
* ''[[Saussurea costus]]''. Eastern Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea crispa''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea deltoidea''. Himalaya, China, Taiwan.
* ''Saussurea densa''. '''Clustered saw-wort'''. Arctic northeast Asia, Canada, Montana.
* ''Saussurea dhwojii''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea discolor''. Alpine central Europe.
* ''Saussurea dolichopoda''. China.
* ''Saussurea donkiah''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea dutaillyana''. China.
* ''Saussurea dzeurensis''. China.
* ''Saussurea elegans''. Caucasus.
* ''Saussurea epilobioides''. China.
* ''[[Saussurea esthonica]]''. Eastern Europe.
* ''Saussurea fastuosa''. Himalaya, western China.
* ''Saussurea formosana''. Taiwan.
* ''Saussurea forrestii''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea frondosa''. China.
* ''Saussurea glandulosa''. Taiwan.
* ''Saussurea globosa''. China.
* ''Saussurea gnaphalodes''. Himalaya, western China.
* ''[[Saussurea gossypiphora]]''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea graminea''. China.
* ''Saussurea graminifolia''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea grandiflora''. China.
* ''Saussurea heteromalla''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea hieracioides''. Himalaya, western China.
* ''Saussurea hookeri''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea involucrata''. '''snow lotus''', Himalaya, ('''Vansemberuu''') Mongolia.
* ''Saussurea iodostegia''. China.
* ''Saussurea japonica''. Japan, Korea, northern China.
* ''Saussurea kanaii''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea kanzanensis''. Taiwan.
* ''Saussurea kingii''. China.
* ''Saussurea kiraisanensis''. Taiwan.
* ''Saussurea laminamaensis''. Himalaya.
* ''[[Saussurea laniceps]]''. China.
* ''Saussurea lanuginosa''. China.
* ''Saussurea lappa''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea leontodontoides''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea licentiana''. China.
* ''Saussurea likiangensis''. Southwest China.
* ''Saussurea linearifolia''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea longifolia''. China.
* ''Saussurea manshurica''. Northern China.
* ''Saussurea medusa''. China.
* ''Saussurea mongolica''. Western China, Mongolia.
* ''Saussurea namikawae''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea neofranchetii''. China.
* ''Saussurea nepalensis''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea nigrescens''. China.
* ''Saussurea nishiokae''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea nivea''. China.
* ''Saussurea nuda''. '''nutty saw-wort'''. Alaska.
* ''[[Saussurea obvallata]]''. '''Brahma kamal'''. Himalaya, northern Burma and south-west China.
* ''Saussurea oligantha''. China.
* ''Saussurea otophylla''. China.
* ''Saussurea pachyneura''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea parviflora''. Russia, China.
* ''Saussurea pectinata''. China.
* ''Saussurea peguensis''. China.
* ''Saussurea phaeantha''. China.
* ''Saussurea pinetorum''. China.
* ''Saussurea piptathera''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea platyphyllaria''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea polycephala''. China.
* ''Saussurea polystichoides''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea populifolia''. China.
* ''Saussurea porcii''. Carpathians.
* ''Saussurea pulchella''. Japan, Korea, northern China, eastern Siberia.
* ''Saussurea pygmaea''. Alps, Carpathians.
* ''Saussurea quercifolia''. China.
* ''Saussurea romuleifolia''. China.
* ''Saussurea roylei''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea runcinata''. China.
* ''Saussurea salsa''. Russia, China.
* ''Saussurea simpsoniana''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea sobarocephala''. China.
* ''Saussurea spicata''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea stafleuana''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea stella''. China.
* ''Saussurea stracheyana''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea sughoo''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea taraxacifolia''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea tangutica''. Western Asia.
* ''Saussurea topkegolensis''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea tridactyla''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea turgaiensis''. Russia.
* ''Saussurea uniflora''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea ussuriensis''. China, eastern Russia.
* ''Saussurea vansemberuu''. Mongolia.
* ''Saussurea veitchiana''. Central China.
* ''Saussurea velutina''. China.
* ''Saussurea viscida''. '''sticky saw-wort'''. Alaska.
* ''[[Saussurea weberi]]''. '''Weber's saw-wort'''. Rocky Mountains.
* ''Saussurea werneroides''. Himalaya.
* ''Saussurea yakla''. Himalaya.
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===External links===
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Wikispecies-inline}}
* [http://www.efloras.org/browse.aspx?flora_id=3&start_taxon_id=129338 Chinese plant names: ''Saussurea'']
* [http://www.efloras.org/browse.aspx?flora_id=110&start_taxon_id=129338 Checklist of the plants of Nepal: ''Saussurea'']
* [http://www.itmonline.org/jintu/snowlotus.htm Jintu: Snow Lotus]
* {{cite journal | author=Law W, Salick J | title=Human-induced dwarfing of Himalayan snow lotus, Saussurea laniceps (Asteraceae) | journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]] | volume= 102| issue=29 | year=2005 | pages=10218–10220 | pmid=16006524 | doi=10.1073/pnas.0502931102 | pmc=1177378| bibcode=2005PNAS..10210218L | doi-access=free }}
* {{PFAF}}

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[[Category:Saussurea| ]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Asteraceae genera]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle]]