title: [Morphological character of growth cycle for Epimedium acuminatim and icariin content analysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship between morphological characteristics of growth cycle for Epimedium acuminatium and accumulation level of secondary metabolites.
  
  
  METHODS
  After making habitat clear, methods of morphology observation, specimen preparation, organism charting were applied to record morphological characteristics of E. acuminatium at different stages. HPLC was employed to detect icariin content of different parts of the plant at the stage of vegetative growth and sexual reproduction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The growth cycle of E. acuminatium was divided into vegetative growth stage and sexual and asexual reproduction coexistence stage. Seven to eight years were needed for the plants flowering and seeding of E. acuminatimcan in open land of forest edge, but within good nutrition conditions, growth cycle is shortened into three to four years. The difference of icariin content in two growth stages was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Morphological change of lower and foliar organ can be utilized to estimate growth age. But after applying sexual propagation for both root and stem of grown plants, it's been difficult to determine their growth year. If individual biomass or yield is economical, plants can be harvested in both vegetative growth and sexual reproduction stages.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hou-Xi
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wei-Ke
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Lan-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Chuan-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Bo
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D034181:Epimedium / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction; D036226:Seedlings / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; C056599:icariin