Extinction

About 5000 different herbs and roots are used in TCM, but only 200 of them are currently being cultivated. At the same time, the list of endangered plants is growing, as demand outstrips growth. Saline cistanche, found only in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has long been used in TCM. It is used to treat kidney problems, coxalgia, indigestion, and research shows that it is also effective against old age dementia.(thanh diem)