How to grow Cynomorium songaricum? A detailed explanation of the key cultivation techniques

The reproductive process of Cynomorium songaricum differs from that of ordinary plants and is remarkably similar to that of humans and animals. Every year in May and June, Cynomorium songaricum begins to emerge above the ground, and by July and August it begins to mature. The male and female parts of the same plant pollinate each other and set seed.

The seeds of Cynomorium songaricum are extremely small; under a microscope their shape resembles a human fertilized egg, and the thousand-grain weight is only about 2 grams. Because the head of Cynomorium songaricum is covered with scale-like armor, the seeds are packed very tightly and cannot fall out. At this time, a small white worm emerges from the root of Cynomorium songaricum, which experts have named the Cynomorium worm. The Cynomorium worm begins from the bottom and gradually moves upward along the inside of the Cynomorium songaricum, eating it hollow bit by bit until it reaches the top. At this point a cavity forms inside the Cynomorium songaricum, and the seeds fall through the cavity to the bottom of the plant. Along with the backflow of water inside the Cynomorium songaricum, they pass through a channel about 2 mm thick connecting the Cynomorium songaricum and the Nitraria and enter the roots of the Nitraria. In the roots of the Nitraria, following the flow of water, they reach a site suitable for their lodging. At this time winter arrives, and the Nitraria stops growing. The seeds of Cynomorium songaricum absorb nutrients from the Nitraria and grow and swell rapidly. The parasitic part bulges into a lump the size of a fist. After being nurtured through a winter, it begins to sprout in March of the following year and breaks through the soil in one go; within a few dozen days it can grow, be pollinated, and set seed, beginning a new round of the growth cycle. Cynomorium songaricum is a perennial succulent parasitic herb. The underground stem is thick and short, with many absorptive roots bearing nodular protrusions. The stem is cylindrical, dark purplish-red, 20-100 cm tall, about 3-10 cm in diameter, with most of the stem buried in the sandy soil.