English: Snow Lotus, Saussurea Flower 

Chinese: Xue Lian (雪莲)

Tibetan: Ganglha Metog 

Other Names: Tian Shan Snow Lotus, Sacred Lotus of the Snow

The Tibetan Snow Lotus, Saussurea laniceps, is highly prized for its use in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine for thetreatment of headaches, high blood pressure, and various other ailments. Every year at flowering time, Himalayan locals climbabove altitudes of 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) to scour the rocky mountain slopes for it, harvesting the whole plant. For centuries, it has been used in Eastern cultures, particularly in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine, for its purported healing properties. The plant, known scientifically as Saussurea involucrata, is believed to have medicinal value for treating ailments like headaches, high blood pressure, a high strength anti-inflammatory herbal remedy and also anti-oxidant.