Overview of Tibetan Medicinal Resources—Extracted from the “Chinese Medical Encyclopedia—Tibetan Medicine”

　　The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the world’s highest and youngest plateau. It is the homeland of China’s Tibetan people and the cradle where Tibetan medicine originated and flourished. Situated in the southwestern frontier of China, the plateau lies between 28° and 36° north latitude and 75° to 103° east longitude. Stretching from the Kunlun Mountains in the north to the Himalayas in the south, from the Karakoram Range in the west to the Hengduan Mountains in the east, it covers a vast area characterized by high-altitude terrain with an average elevation of over 4,000 meters. The plateau is home to some of the world’s most famous massive mountain ranges, long-flowing rivers, numerous lakes, and extensive glaciers. It features a diverse array of landforms, including alpine regions, plateaus, lake basins, and valleys.

　　Due to the vast area and complex topography of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with significant variations in elevation across different regions, the climate conditions vary considerably from place to place on the plateau. Generally speaking, the southeastern part is heavily influenced by the maritime monsoon, while the northwestern region exhibits a distinctly continental climate. As one moves from southeast to northwest, temperatures gradually decrease and rainfall gradually diminishes, causing the climate to transition smoothly from warm and humid to cold and arid, thus creating systematic regional differences.

　　The vastness of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its complex and ever-changing natural conditions have given rise to a rich and diverse array of flora and fauna resources. According to specimens collected over many years and data compiled from various sources, the number of plant species included in Tibetan medicine currently stands at 2,085 species belonging to 682 genera within 191 families. Among these, there are 50 species in 5 genera of fungi; 46 species in 4 genera of lichens; 5 species in 5 genera of mosses; 5 species in 5 genera of ferns; 47 species in 52 genera of gymnosperms, including 3 varieties; and 1,895 species in 581 genera within 131 families of angiosperms, comprising 141 varieties. In addition, there are 159 animal-derived medicinal substances belonging to 111 genera within 57 families, as well as more than 50 mineral-based medicinal substances. One-third of the commonly used Tibetan medicines share ingredients with traditional Chinese medicines. Moreover, locally sourced Tibetan herbs account for over half of the commonly used Tibetan medicines.

　　Although Tibetan medicinal plants exhibit a wide variety of species and diverse morphological forms, each species is adapted to its own specific ecological environment. Consequently, every plant species belongs to a particular vegetation type. The morphological and physiological characteristics of plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are concentrated at altitudes above 3,800 meters. From a vegetation-type perspective, these plants primarily occur in three major types: alpine meadows, alpine cushion vegetation, and sparse vegetation on alpine scree slopes. Among the dominant and companion species in these vegetation types, the vast majority are Tibetan medicinal plants; thus, these characteristics can also be regarded as distinctive features of Tibetan medicinal plants. The key morphological traits include dwarf stature, cushion-like or rosette-like growth forms, and plants covered with cottony hairs. Additionally, their root systems are well-developed and spread horizontally along the ground surface. As for physiological traits, these plants demonstrate strong cold and drought resistance, employ unique reproductive strategies, and exhibit highly efficient photosynthetic accumulation.

　　Based on the diverse plant species involved in the development and evolution of Tibetan medicine itself, the flora of Tibetan medicinal plants has developed distinctive characteristics, which can be broadly categorized into seven distribution types: Arctic, Tropical, Subtropical, Temperate, North Temperate, and Mediterranean. Tibetan medicinal plants are remarkably diverse; according to statistics, the number of Tibetan medicinal plant species accounts for roughly one-tenth of all plant species found in China. Tibetan medicine encompasses not only animal and mineral medicines but also a wide range of botanical medicines—from cold-climate, warm-climate, to tropical varieties—with those of temperate and northern-climate origins being particularly predominant.

　　Medicinal plants, classified according to their parts used in Tibetan medicine, include roots and rhizomes, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, bark, stems, aerial parts, or the whole plant. Root and rhizome-based medicinal plants include Ma Niao Pao, Anisodus tanguticus, Euphorbia, Rheum palmatum, Rumex acetosa, Rhodiola rosea, Himalayan Jasmine, Tibetan Acorus, Spiranthes sinensis, Notopterygium incisum, Angelica sinensis, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and Tibetan Musk, among others. Stem-based medicinal materials include Terminalia chebula, Smilax glabra, Caragana, Pinus tabuliformis knots, Clematis armandii, Lonicera japonica, Camellia sinensis, Rhamnus cathartica, Fraxinus rhynchophylla, Santalum album, and Aquilaria malaccensis, among others.

　　Leaf-based medicinal herbs include leaves of Symplocos, Rhododendron, and Juniper.

　　Floral medicinal herbs include Meconopsis, Pedicularis, Crepis, Aster, Trollius, Anemone, Bombax ceiba, Rhododendron, Primula, and Gentiana sino-typhoidea, among others.

　　There are over 130 types of medicinal materials derived from fruits and seeds, including yellow hibiscus seeds, sea buckthorn berries, fragrant celery, jujube beans, pine cones, bitter melon seeds, black cumin seeds, wood butterfly seeds, juniper berries, rose hips, fenugreek, betel nut, Tibetan papaya, Tibetan fennel, honeysuckle berries, horned poppy seeds, Lepidium seeds, podophyllum berries, hyoscyamus seeds, and cassia seeds.

　　Bark-based medicinal materials include willow bark, elm bark, barberry bark, and cinnamon bark, among others.

　　Herbal medicines derived from the aerial parts or the whole plant account for 70% of all Tibetan medicinal plants, most of which grow in high-altitude regions. Commonly used species include Meconopsis betonicifolia, Coptis chinensis, Saussurea involucrata, Swertia japonica, Ligularia fischeri, Codonopsis pilosula, Adenophora stricta, Lysimachia clethroides, Saussurea involucrata, Saussurea laniceps, Viola yunnanensis, Picrorhiza kurroa, and Saxifraga stolonifera, among others.

　　Classified by clinical efficacy, there are over 40 categories, with the following 10 being the most common:

　　More than 70 species, including powdery raspberry, downy larkspur, red-flowered sweet cicely, crested yellow corydalis, tuberous aster, winged spurge, iron hammer, and Unera gentian, are used for clearing heat and detoxifying, and are effective against colds and influenza.

　　Over 70 species are known to clear liver heat, gallbladder heat, and lung heat, including: *Hedyotis elliptica*, *Saxifraga stolonifera*, *Swertia japonica*, *Aconitum tanguticum*, *Cyanus tanguticus*, *Potentilla aurea*, *Crepis nepalensis*, *Crepis humilis*, and *Crepis arenaria*, among others.

　　The medicinal plants used for tracheitis include: Gentiana tangutica, Gentiana alpina, Rhododendron leaves, Artemisia scoparia, Artemisia sphaerocephala, and various species of Gentiana.

　　Medicines used to dispel wind and remove dampness for rheumatoid arthritis include more than 40 species, such as Chuanzang Adenophora, Yellow-flowered Wood, Wild Pea, Juniper Berry, Alyssum, and Hound's-tongue.

　　The following herbs are used for tuberculosis and lung abscess: Black Saxifrage, Alpine Horseradish, Five-vein Green Fluffweed, Rhodiola rosea, Jishi Rhodiola, Lhasa Spathiphyllum, Strawberry, Daphne, and Broad-fruited Cistanche.

　　There are over 20 types of antihypertensive herbs, including Saussurea involucrata, Saussurea integrifolia, Lagotis brevicarpa, Pulsatilla patens, Pulsatilla cernua, and Euphorbia maculata, among others.

　　Herbs used for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, suitable for injuries from falls and blows as well as fractures, include more than 30 species such as Duyiwei, Chi Shu Luodi, Cilü Ronghao, Zongzhuang Lü Ronghao, Xingzhuang Fengmaoju, Chuanxi Xiaohuangju, and Chuanxi Jinji.

　　Herbal remedies that regulate menstruation and promote blood circulation, commonly used for gynecological disorders, include over 40 species such as Cudrania tricuspidata, Saussurea medusa, Primula farinosa, Long-leaved Phyllanthus, Rhizoma Podophyllum, and flowers of Astragalus membranaceus, among others.

　　Today, Tibetan medicine is being increasingly developed and applied. Notably, hundreds of precious medicinal herbs—including cordyceps, Tibetan gentian, picrorhiza, gastrodia elata, snow lotus, rhodiola rosea, and plateau ganoderma—grow in the frigid, oxygen-poor high-altitude regions of the snowy plateaus. These herbs are pure and free from pollution, boasting exceptionally potent medicinal properties. They represent a shining gem in China’s natural medicine field.

　　Although China’s research on Tibetan medicine started relatively late, Tibet boasts extremely abundant Tibetan medicinal resources. The development and utilization of these resources hold bright prospects, and there is still much more for us to explore and uncover.