The development of biomass on marginal lands has been investigated and proven to be feasible. Orychophragmus violaceus grows naturally in the karst region and shows a stronger bicarbonate-use capacity and adaptability than some other plants. In the present study, the systemic parameters of seed samples from four locations were determined, including the oil contents (30.59-36.81 wt%), acid values (2.76-5.68 mg KOH/g), iodine values (111.02-147.58 g I-2/100 g), and fatty acid composition. O. violaceus oil was mainly composed of palmitic acid (C16:0, 10.65-13.06 wt%), stearic acid (C18:0, 6.41-8.31 wt%), oleic acid (C18:1, 16.56-25.58 wt%), and linoleic acid (C18:2, 46.07-52.16 wt%). O. violaceus seed oil from Guiyang was converted to biodiesel by calcined porous calcite. The catalyst amount was optimised, and refined biodiesel was prepared by vacuum distillation. The fuel properties of the O. violaceus biodiesel samples all met the EN 14214 (2012) standards, except for the cetane number and oxidation stability. In summary, O. violaceus from the karst marginal land is highly recommended as a biomass feedstock. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.