Comparative studies on the growth,chlorophyll, amino acids and minerals of Thesium chinense (Santalaceae) in association with different hosts

Thesium chinense is a root hemiparasite and the whole weed serves as a traditional medicine in China. The resource of T. chinense is sharply declining, due to unsustainable exploitation and environmental destruction. At the same time, the obligate hemiparasitic nature and the relationship of the T. chinense‐host association are not well understood. In order to protect and cultivate T. chinense, we aimed to find a superior host for T. chinense by studying the effect of different hosts (eight host species and without host) on the growth, chlorophyll and nutrient content of pot‐cultured T. chinense. The results showed that the presence of a host species significantly promoted the growth of T. chinense but considerable differences existed among different host species. Imperata cylindrica, Prunella vulgaris, Chrysanthermum indicum were more efficient in promoting the growth of T. chinense than the other hosts. Thesium chinense chlorophyll (chl) concentration and chl a:chl b ratio increased significantly when grown with a host. Asp and Glu were the most common amino acids in T. chinense. Dry weight of T. chinense per plant was significantly positively correlated to the concentration of Pro (r=0.870, p<0.01), but significantly negatively correlated to the concentration of Gly (r=?0.688, p<0.01). Thesium chinense grown with a host had a high concentration of K, P, Cu and K/Ca ratio and a low Na concentration compared with those without host plants. Dry weight of T. chinense per plant was significantly positively correlated to the concentration of K. It is concluded that Imperata cylindrica, Prunella vulgaris, Chrysanthermum indicum are superior hosts for T. chinense.