Atractylodes lancea
| Atractylodes lancea | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Atractylodes lancea (common name: cang zhu)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the following spring or early summer.
Cultivation: We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This species is closely related to A. japonica[1]. It is being investigated in China for the viability of growing it as a commercial crop[2]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus.
Succeeds in any well-drained soil in sun or partial shade[2].
This species is dioecious. Both male and female plants need to be grown if seed is required[3].
Range: E. Asia - Central China.
Habitat: Grassland, forests, thickets and rock crevices at elevations of 700 - 2500 metres[3].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked. Exceedingly rich in vitamin A, it also contains 1.5% essential oils[4].
Medicinal: This plant is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine[2]. The root is a bitter-sweet tonic herb that acts mainly upon the digestive system[2]. The root is antibacterial, antiemetic, appetizer, digestive, diuretic, hypoglycaemic, sedative, stomachic and tonic[1][5][6][2]. It is often used in conjunction with other herbs such as Codonopsis tangshen and Glycyrrhiza uralensis[2]. It is used in the treatment of poor appetite, digestive disorders such as dyspepsia, abdominal distension and chronic diarrhoea, rheumatoid arthritis, oedema, spontaneous sweating and night blindness[5]. The roots are harvested in the autumn and baked for use in tonics[2].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Dioecious
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kariyone, Tatsuo. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.