Abstract: Saussurea medusa Maxim. is a rare Chinese medicine,this study is to determine the content and distribution of elements in Saussurea medusa Maxim. to provide a basis for its utilization.The plants were digested by nitric acid microwave.The 21 elements in different parts of the plants was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).The data were analyzed by Solutions Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 22.0 (SPSS 22.0).The method for the determination of 21 elements in four different parts of the plant was established.No Mo was detected in all four parts,Co and Cd were not detected in the flowers.For the whole plant,the eight elements of Cr,Mn,Pb,Se,Sr,Cu,Ni,and Zn are the most representative.Among the 11 essential elements required by the human body,the Saussurea medusa Maxim. is rich in Ca and Mg.Among the eight essential trace elements,Saussurea medusa Maxim. contains the most Fe,which is the most abundant in the leaves.Among the other trace elements which are necessary for human,Se is of the smallest difference among the four parts,the largest one is the Cr,and almost no Co.The established detection method is accurate,reliable and high precision.It’s suitable for analyzing the elemental content of plants.There are some differences in the content of elements between the four parts of the plant,which can provide a scientific basis for further study.

Key words: Saussurea medusa Maxim., ICP-OES, mineral elements, factor analysis