asparagus

Radix asparagiofficinalis

Commonasparagus root

[alias] xiaobaibu, shanwenzhu.

[source] it is the tuberous root of Asparagus officinalis L.

[plant morphology] perennial herb, smooth, glabrous, slightly powdery. The stem is long and soft. The branches are filiform, 3-6 in clusters, 5-30mm long, and the scaly leaves are yellowish. It is dioecious, with 6 mm long flowers, 1-4 axillary and about LCM long pedicel; the male perianth is 6, 5-6 mm long, with 6 stamens on the back; the female perianth is 3 mm long, with 6 staminodes. Berries globose, red. The flowering period is from July to August.

It is cultivated in different places. It is mainly produced in Guangxi.

[picking] dig the root tubers in spring and autumn, wash them, scald them in boiling water and dry them in the sun.

[character] there are several or dozens of tuberous roots in clusters, and some are scattered individually. It is a long cylindrical shape, 10-25cm in length, 4mm in diameter, yellowish white or yellowish, with irregular grooves. The texture is flexible and the section is light yellow and white.

[chemical constituents] it contains saponin, and its sapogenin is sarsasa pogenin. In addition, it contains coniferin, chelidonic acid, asparagine, aspartose and arginine.

[flavor] slightly warm, bitter and pungent.

[indications] moisten the lung and relieve cough, remove phlegm and kill insects. It is used for cough due to lung heat, killing chancre, external treatment of skin scabies and parasites.