Rhaponticum carthamoides

Rhaponticum carthamoides, synonym Leuzea carthamoides, is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae. It is known as maral root or rhaponticum. It inhabits the sub-alpine zone as well as alpine meadows. It can be found growing wild in Southern Siberia, Kazakhstan, the Altay region, and Western Sayan Mountains. Maral root is widely cultivated throughout Russia and Eastern Europe. This plant derives its traditional name maral root from the Cervus [elaphus maral|maral deer] that fed on it.
R. carthamoides is high in 20-hydroxyecdysone, a steroidal substance that can disrupt the molting and reproduction of arthropods.