Saposhnikovia divaricata

Saposhnikovia divaricata

(records of traditional Chinese Medicine)

[synonym] Saposhnikovia divaricata (Sichuan Traditional Chinese medicine annals), Peucedanum pubescens and Xifeng (Nanchuan Manual of commonly used Chinese herbal medicine).

[source] it is the root of Ligusticum brevicornum.

[plant morphology] Ligusticum brevicornum

Herbs perennial, up to 1 m tall. The taproot is stout and long conical. Stem single, cylindrical, longitudinal straight furrow, base smooth, top near inflorescence of dense white pilose. The basal leaves are petiolate, 10-15 cm long, sheath like at the base, embracing the stem; the leaves are 2-3-pinnate compound leaves, and the final lobes are strip-shaped, with coarsely serrated margin, occasionally notched, glabrous. Compound umbel terminal; flowers larger, no involucre, pedicel 25-30, 5-8 mm long, all scattered white pubescence; umbel with 25-30 flowers, involucre several pieces, lanceolate, densely hairy; calyx teeth not obvious; petals 5, white, obovate, apex protruding inward; stamen 5; ovary ovate, hypogynous, style 2, style base conical. Suspensory fruit oblate ovoid, 5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, glabrous, with prominent dorsal ribs and winged lateral ribs. The flowering period is from August to September. The fruit period is from September to October.

Wild in the gravel grassland, hillside. It is distributed in Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan.

[collection] harvest in spring and autumn, dig out roots, wash and dry.

[medicinal material] the dry roots are cylindrical and slightly curved, some have branches, 15-30 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm thick. The surface is grayish brown or tan. The head of the reed is long, and there are some residual stems and leaves on the top. There are longitudinal wrinkles and piles of verrucous protuberances and branch root marks at the root. It is light in weight, hard and brittle in quality, light yellow and white in cross section, without flesh and much fiber. It is better to be dry and without fibrous roots.

It is mainly produced in Sichuan. It is also produced in Guizhou.

This product is used as windbreak in Sichuan.

[processing] remove the residual stems, soak them in water, take them out, moisten them, slice them and dry them in the sun.

[nature and taste] it is warm in nature, sweet and pungent in taste, and non-toxic.

[channel tropism] entering the liver, spleen and bladder.

[function indications] it can relieve pain, dispel wind and overcome dampness. Treatment of external symptoms, headache, dizziness, joint pain, limb contracture, red eyes, sore and tetanus. (nature and taste are listed in Sichuan Traditional Chinese medicine annals)

[usage and dosage] oral administration: decoction, 1-3 yuan; or into pills, powder.