Rehmannia glutinosa


Rehmannia glutinosa is a flowering broomrape, and one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it has the name shēng dì huáng. It is often sold as gān dì huáng, gān meaning "dried". Unlike the majority of broomrapes, R. glutinosa is not parasitic, and is capable of independent photosynthesis.

Chemical constituents

A number of chemical constituents including iridoids, phenethyl alcohol, glycosides, cyclopentanoid monoterpenes, and norcarotenoids, have been reported from the fresh or processed roots of R. glutinosa.

Etymology

Rehmannia is named for Joseph Rehmann, a physician in St. Petersburg.Glutinosa means 'glutinous', 'sticky', or 'viscous'.