cistanche deserticola

Cistanche deserticola is a holoparasitic member of the plant family Orobanchaceae, commonly known as desert-broomrape.The plant lacks chlorophyll and obtains its nutrients and water in a parasitic fashion from the black saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron) and white saxaul (Haloxylon persicum).

Cistanche deserticola is a perennial hardy, shrub-like herb 40–160 centimetres (1 ft 4 in–5 ft 3 in) tall. It is shaped somewhat like a cross between a pine cone and a pineapple, with thick, fleshy stems and large, ...