What plant is wild notoginseng? A complete guide to wild notoginseng

Wild notoginseng is also known as Xiangci, Tu Sanqi, Zhujie Qi, Bai Sanqi, Pingbian Sanqi and so on. It is the root of Pingbian Sanqi, a plant in the Araliaceae family. It grows in moist forests in valleys at an altitude of 1100-1700 m, is distributed in southeastern Yunnan, and can be used as medicine. In autumn, the tuberous roots are dug up, mud, sand and fine roots are removed, and it is sun-dried or oven-dried. It has the effects of dissipating blood stasis and stopping bleeding, reducing swelling and relieving pain.

Wild notoginseng is a perennial herbaceous plant. The rhizome is creeping, nodular, and has sunken stem scars; the root is tuberous and spindle-shaped. The scales at the stem base persist. The leaves are alternate, palmately compound, and 3 are whorled at the top of the stem. The petiole is 4-7 cm long and hairless. The stipules are ovate. There are 5 leaflets, rarely 7, pinnately parted, with unequal lobes; the middle ones are larger and those at both ends are smaller.

The umbel of wild notoginseng is solitary at the top of the stem and has 50-80 flowers. The pedicel is 8-10 cm long and hairless. The calyx has 5 tooth-like lobes and is hairless. The flowers are pale green, with 5 petals, oblong-ovate to oblong-elliptic. There are 5 stamens, and the filaments are equal to or slightly longer than the petals. The ovary is inferior, 2-locular; the styles are 2, united into 1, and the stigma is slightly swollen and slightly curved. The fruit is a drupe-like berry, spherical and kidney-shaped, red when mature. There are 2 seeds, nearly spherical, white. The flowering period is May-June, and the fruiting period is July-August.

Wild notoginseng is mainly distributed in moist forests in valleys at an altitude of 1100-1700 m in Maguan, Malipo, Pingbian and other places in southeastern Yunnan. It also occurs in Lao Cai in northern Vietnam. The tuberous roots are usually dug up in autumn, and after mud, sand and fine roots are removed, they are sun-dried or oven-dried and stored for medicinal use.

Wild notoginseng is slightly bitter and sweet in taste and warm in nature. It has the effects of dissipating blood stasis and stopping bleeding, reducing swelling and relieving pain. It is mainly used for traumatic injuries, rheumatic pain, coughing blood, trauma, bleeding, vomiting blood, nosebleeds, blood in the stool, uterine bleeding, weakness after illness, pulmonary tuberculosis and other conditions. It is taken orally as a decoction, or made into pills, powders, or medicinal liquor, and applied externally as a powder. However, pregnant women should take it with caution.