This study aimed to establish a quality evaluation method for Herba Cistanche based on the HPLC characteristic chromatograms of the phenylethanoid glycosides and iridoid glycosides, and compare the HPLC characteristic chromatograms of different origins of Herba Cistanche.The chromatog. conditions used were as follows: column, Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 column (4. 6 mm x 250 mm, 5μm) ; gradient elution, acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution; flow rate, 1.0 mL/min; detection wave length, 240 nm; column temperature, 30°C.Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) Wight showed 9 characteristic peaks, Cistanche deserticola Y. C. Ma showed 10 characteristic peaks, Cistanche salsa (C. A. Mey.) G. Beck showed 7 characteristic peaks, and Cistanche sinensis G. Beck showed 4 characteristic peaks.Peak 6 was echinacoside, peak 7 was verbascoside, peak 8 was tubuloside A, peak 9 was isoacteoside and peak 10 was cistanoside A.The characteristic chromatograms of the four different origins of Herba Cistanche were significantly different.This characteristic chromatogram method has good reproducibility and can be used to distinguish 4 different origins of Herba Cistanche, C. deserticola Y. C. Ma, C. tubulosa (Schenk) Wight, C. sinensis G. Beck and C. salsa (C. A. Mey.) G. Beck.