About Leuzea carthamoides subsp. carthamoides
Leuzea carthamoides subsp. carthamoides is also known by the scientific synonyms Rhaponticum carthamoides and Leuzea carthamoides. It is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the Asteraceae family, and it is commonly called maral root or rhaponticum. This plant grows in the sub-alpine zone, at elevations between 1,400 and 1,800 meters (4,500 to 6,000 feet) above sea level, and also in alpine meadows. It grows wild in Southern Siberia, Kazakhstan, the Altay region, and the Western Sayan Mountains. Maral root is widely cultivated across Russia and Eastern Europe. Its traditional common name maral root (maralu) comes from maral deer that feed on this plant. R. carthamoides contains high levels of 20-hydroxyecdysone, a steroidal substance that can disrupt molting and reproduction in arthropods.
