Northern Dragonhead (Dracocephalum ruyschiana) profile

Northern Dragonhead (Dracocephalum ruyschiana) belongs to the genus Northern Dragonhead, labiatae, with about 60 species, mainly distributed in temperate Asia, mostly in alpine and semi-arid areas, a few in Central and Northern Europe, 1 species in North America, and about 32 species in China, which are distributed in Northeast China, North China, Northwest China and Southwest China. Some species are for ornamental use.

Northern Dragonhead is located in the northeast of Inner Mongolia (Boktu), the north of Heilongjiang (Greater Khingan Mountains) and the north of Xinjiang.Born in mountain meadow or grassland stony place.  

Northern Dragonhead picture

Morphological characteristics of Northern Dragonhead

Northern Dragonhead several stems arising from rhizomes, erect, obtuse, quaterniform, with inverted hairs, less sparse below, short branches with small leaves arising from leaf axils. Leaves are sessile or barely sessile, linear or lanceolate linear, apex obtuse, base narrowly cuneate, 3.4 -- 6.2 cm long, midvein sparsely hirsute or glabrous above and below.

Inflorescences of Northern Dragonhead from 4 -- 6 nodes of upper stem, 2.5 -- 6 cm in length, somewhat dense; Bract running time is 1/2 of calyx or shorter, ovoid elliptic, apex lancet, densely covered with eyelash, calyx long 10-12 mm, outside densely covered with short hairs below middle, upper is sparse, 2 crack about to 2/5, 3 crack to itself about two-thirds, upper lip tooth in the oval, oval than lateral teeth slightly wide, lateral teeth triangular or lanceolate, wide base of lower lip 2 crack to itself, teeth lanceolate, apex each tooth sharp pointed, eyelash, often with purple. Corolla is blue-purple, 1.7 -- 2.4 cm long, pubescent outside. Anthers are pubescent.

Northern Dragonhead is a perennial herb, 20 ~ 30 cm high. Rhizome is short, with many fibrous roots, dark brown. Stem is at base much branched, square, longitudinally 4, surface green purplish red, thinly white pubescent.

Northern Dragonhead leaves are opposite, short stipitate; Leaf blade is pinnate, lobes linear-lanceolate, green above, flour-green below. Flowers are terminal or whorled leaf axils, arranged into spikes; Bracts are leaf-shaped, much shorter than calyx tube; Calyx is tubular, 5-dentate lobes lanceolate; Corolla is liform, bluish purple, upper lip arched and notched, lower lip 3-lobed, middle lobes notched or deeply lobed; Northern Dragonhead has 4 stamens.

The way Northern Dragonhead propagates

Sow

Row sowing, row spacing 20cm wide, sowing row ditch 5cm deep. Due to the small seed seed, the seeds were mixed with dry fine sand and planted. After sowing, the soil was covered with 2cm and compacted.

Nurture seedlings with nutrition bags

[Raising time] : In the greenhouse, from late January to early February can be.

[Seedling] : Nutrient bags with soil, pouring permeable disinfection on the 3rd day on demand, sowing 2 seeds in each bag, 20 ~ 30 days out of the seedlings.

[Transplanting]: In the seedling has three true leaves can be moved to large field cultivation.Transplanting was carried out on a cloudy day with a plant row spacing of 50cmX50cm and pouring water permeable after transplanting.

Cutting seedlings

[Cuttage time] : in late June seedlings as high as 20cm can be cut.

[Cuttings taking and treatment]: Collected cuttings in 1-year-old or 2-year-old seedlings, collected 10cm spikes at the top, bundled and soaked in water for 4-6h.

[Cuttage]: Cuttage in all light spray conditions, can improve the survival rate of cuttings.Cutting substrate is loam soil and fine slag, the ratio of 1:3, mix well and disinfect. The row spacing of cutting plants was 5cm×10cm, and 200 plants /m2. Cuttage depth was inserted into the substrate 5cm, after insertion, continuous spray for 1h, so that the substrate and cuttings fully contact. Rooting at 20 ~ 25 days after cutting and transplantation at 35 ~ 40 days after cutting.

The distribution of Northern Dragonhead

Northern Dragonhead is located in the northeast of Inner Mongolia (Boktu), the north of Heilongjiang (Greater Khingan Mountains) and the north of Xinjiang. Northern Dragonhead was born in a mountain meadow or grassland stony place.

Northern Dragonhead is also found from Central and Northern Europe to the Soviet Union (from the Caucasus through Central Asia to Siberia).

Uses of Northern Dragonhead

Economic purpose

According to foreign reports, Northern dragonhead plant contains 0.4% aromatic oil.

Medical use

Northern Dragonhead can detach wind and clear heat, cool blood and detoxify. Northern Dragonhead can treat main cold headache, sore throat, cough, jaundice, diarrhea.