Snow lotus (scientific name: Saussurea involucrata) mainly refers to the succulent plant of the genus Saussurea in the Asteraceae family, also known as Xinjiang snow lotus, Tianshan snow lotus, and alpine snow lotus. So, what is the flower language of snowdrops? I'll tell you below.

The flower language of snow lotus: pure white love, tenacity, purity, bringing hope to people, holiness

Snow lotus, called Qiaguosuba in Tibetan, is a perennial of the Asteraceae family. herb. It is not only a rare and rare flower, but also a world-famous rare Tibetan medicine. Mainly refers to the succulent plant of the Asteraceae family, also known as Xinjiang Snow Lotus and Tianshan Snow Lotus. It is called Qiaguo Suba in Tibetan and is called Kallili by people in Xinjiang and Tibet. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, 15-35 cm high. , can be used for medicinal purposes and also has certain ornamental value.

Morphological characteristics of Snowdrop

Perennial herb, 15-35 cm tall. The rhizome is thick, and the neck is covered with the remains of many brown leaves. The stem is stout, 2-3 cm in diameter at the base, hairless. The leaves are dense, the basal leaves and stem leaves are sessile, the leaves are elliptical or ovate-elliptical, 14 cm long and 2-3.5 cm wide, with a blunt or sharp tip, a downward extension at the base, sharp teeth on the edge, and no teeth on both sides. Hairy; the uppermost leaf bract is leaf-like, membranous, light yellow, broadly ovate, 5.5-7 cm long, 2-7 cm wide, surrounding the inflorescence, with sharp teeth on the edge.

There are 10-20 flower heads, densely packed into a spherical total inflorescence at the top of the stem, with no or short pedicels. The involucre is hemispherical, 1 cm in diameter; the involucre has 3-4 layers, with edges or all purple-brown, an acute apex, the outer layer is sparsely villous, and the outer layer is oblong, 1.1 cm long and 5 mm wide. The middle and inner layers are lanceolate, 1.5-1.8 cm long and 2 mm wide. The small flowers are purple, 1.6 cm long, the tube is 7 mm long, and the eaves are 9 mm long. Achenes are oblong, 3 mm long. The crest is white, 2-layered, the outer layer is small, rough-like, 3 mm long, and the inner layer is long, feather-like, 1.5 cm long. The flowering and fruiting period is from July to September.

The origin and habitat of snow lotus

Snow lotus grows in Xinjiang and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the best varieties are Tianshan snow lotus.

Snow lotus is suitable for various complex climatic environments; it can survive the temperature of 1℃～39℃ without wilting, grow vigorously at 15℃～25℃, and its roots can survive the winter safely at -32℃.

Snow lotus is mostly distributed in the Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang (Urumqi, Bokeda Mountain, Heshuo)/Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is also distributed in Russia and Kazakhstan.

Snowdrops grow on hillsides, valleys, rock crevices, watersides and meadows at an altitude of 2400-3470 meters.

Tianshan Snow Lotus grows on cliffs and alpine grasslands in alpine zones between 3,000 and 4,000 meters below the snow line. Due to the special growth environment, it takes 3 to 5 years to bloom and bear fruit. During the flowering period, the seeds are scattered by the wind in the mountains. Only seeds that encounter a suitable environment can germinate and grow.