Radix Aucklandiae

Chinese Name: chuanmuxiang

Class: root

Sichuan dolomiaea root

[alias]:

[source]: it is the root of the Compositae plant dolomiaeasouliei (Franch.) Shih.

[harvesting]: root digging, washing, sun drying or low fire drying from September to December.

[character and taste]: the root is cylindrical or semi cylindrical with longitudinal groove, 10-30cm in length and 1.5-3cm in diameter. The surface is yellowish brown to dark brown, rough, with dense diagonal square reticulation composed of fiber bundles, and sometimes the root head is burnt black and sticky. The body is light, hard and brittle, and hard to break; the cross section is not flat, with yellowish brown skin and yellowish white wood. There are dot shaped oil chambers and radial cracks, some of which are hollow in the center, fragrant and special in gas, bitter in taste, and sticky to the teeth. Warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste.

[plant morphology]: perennial herb, almost stemless. The root is stout and cylindrical. The leaves are clustered, rosette shaped, ovate lanceolate, oblong lanceolate or elliptic, 20-30cm long and 10-20cm wide, pinnately split, with 5-7 pairs of lobes, or undivided, with irregular teeth on the edge of lobes and hairs on both sides; the petiole is 8-20cm long. The inflorescences are mainly tubular flowers, purple, about 4cm long, with 6-layer involucral bracts, leathery, green with purple, convex tip and eyelashes on the edge. Achene flat, angulate; corolla awned. The flowering period is from July to August and the fruiting period is from August to September.

[growing place]: it grows on alpine grassland above 3000m above sea level. It is mainly produced in Sichuan.

[chemical composition]: the stick contains volatile oil; the root of commercial Radix Aucklandiae contains mokkolactone.

Main indications: Xingqi Zhitong, Hewei Xiaozhang, Zhixie. It is used for abdominal distension, bowel sounds, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and diarrhea.