Potentilla Raspberry

Radix Potentilla e fragarioidis

Dewberry leaf cinquefoiiroot

[alias] chiziyan, manshanhong, maohouzi, caipiaozi.

[source] Potentilla fragarioides L. with rhizome, a Rosaceae plant.

[plant morphology] perennial herb. There are many roots and clusters. Stem erect or oblique, villous. The basal leaves are odd pinnate compound leaves, and the petioles are sparsely pilose; the leaflets are 5-9, the upper part is larger than the lower part, elliptic to obovate, 0.5-7cm long, 0.4-3cm long, green on both sides, scattered pilose, and dense below; the stem leaves are small, with 3 leaflets, and the petioles are short or absent. Corymbose cyme terminal, many flowers, loose, the total pedicel and pedicel villous, yellow flowers, 1-1.7cm in diameter; sepals triangular ovate; epicalyx oblong lanceolate; petals obovate, blunt or slightly concave at the top; style near terminal, large at the upper part, small at the lower part. Achenes subreniform, veined. The flowering period is from April to June and the fruiting period is from June to August.

It grows on the edge of ditch, grassland, shrub and under sparse forest. It is mainly produced in Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong.

[harvesting] it is usually collected in autumn, and the roots are dug, the aboveground parts are removed, washed and dried in the sun.

[character] rhizome is short, cylindric or massive, some slightly curved. The surface is brown, rough and surrounded by many fibrous roots or round root marks. It is hard in texture, thin in skin, yellowish brown to brown in cross section, yellow in xylem and pith in center. The root is slender, curved, 5-10cm long, 0.1-0.4cm in diameter, with longitudinal furrow on the surface; it is brittle and easy to break, with flat section, yellowish brown to brown. It is weak in Qi and astringent in taste.

[chemical constituents] contain α - catechin.

[nature and taste] it is warm, sweet and slightly bitter.

[indications] tonifying Yin deficiency and hemostasis. For hernia, menorrhagia, functional uterine bleeding, postpartum hemorrhage.