A poisonous, sweet-scented grassland flower whose roots are the raw material of traditional Tibetan paper.
- Group: Plant
- Plant type: Flower
- Habitats: Grassland, dry slopes
- Regions: Ü Tsang, Kham, Amdo
Habitat and distribution
Sunny dry slopes and sandy places at 2,600–4,200 m across the plateau and northern China (Flora of China).
Recorded in Ü-Tsang, Kham, Amdo.
Ecological and cultural significance
Tibetan paper made from its root fibres resists insects because of the plant's poisonous compounds (Wikipedia: Tibetan paper); the fibres have been studied as a pulp source (Li et al. 2014).
Threats
No specific threats documented.
Conservation
Not assessed by the IUCN Red List (no assessment found). Ma et al. (2015) list Stellera among the important poisonous plants used, after processing, by Tibetan healers.