Jiang Shanglu
[Aliases] Guangdong Shanglu, Guang Shanglu, Zhangliutou, Baishisun.
[Source] The dried rhizome of Costus speciosus (Koen.) Smith, a plant of the genus Costus in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).
[Original plant] Costus speciosus is a perennial herb, 1-3 m tall, with the lower part of the stem nearly woody, and the upper branches often spirally twisted. Leaves are spirally arranged, oblong or lanceolate, 15-20 cm long and 6-10 cm wide, densely covered with silky hairs on the underside, with closed leaf sheaths. It flowers from July to September, with a terminal spike 5-15 cm long; the bracts are arranged in a cone-like form, ovate, about 2 cm long, leathery, red, covered with short pubescence, with a thickened and sharp short apex; the calyx is 3-lobed and red; the corolla tube is about 1 cm long, with 3 lobes, oblong-elliptic, about 5 cm long, white or red at the tip; the lip is trumpet-shaped, 6.5-9 cm long, white, with toothed lobes at the apex, wrinkled and undulate; the stamen is 1, petal-like, about 4.5 cm long and 1.3 cm wide. The capsule is slightly woody, spherical, 1.3 cm long, red. The seeds are black, glossy, about 3 mm long. It grows under open forests, in shady and damp valleys, by ditches, in roadside grass clumps, and on barren slopes. It is distributed in our province as well as in Taiwan, China, Guangxi, Yunnan and other provinces and regions. Wild or cultivated. It is widely distributed in tropical regions of Asia.
[Medicinal material] Produced in various parts of our province. Cultivated products are mainly produced in northern Guangdong; wild products are produced in the southern and other counties. Harvesting and processing: it can be harvested throughout the year, and those collected in autumn are of better quality. Dig up the rhizome, remove soil and fibrous roots, wash clean, cut into thin slices while fresh, and sun-dry. Characteristics: the rhizome is slightly flattened and block-like, resembling ginger in shape, and slightly woody near the head. The cork layer is relatively thin, smooth or with longitudinal wrinkles, grayish-yellow or grayish-brown, with visible nodes and remnants of fine root scars. Commercial products are mostly longitudinally cut, obliquely cut, or cross-cut slices, curved and uneven, shrunken, 4-7 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, and about 3 mm thick. The cut surface is grayish-white or grayish-yellow, with numerous scattered fibers and vascular bundles. It is light in weight, loose but somewhat tough in texture, and not easy to break. It has a slight odor and a bland, slightly bitter taste. Quality requirements: those with uniform slices, soft and loose texture, and grayish-yellow color are considered better. Packaging and storage: pack in bamboo baskets or gunny bags and store in a ventilated and dry place.
[Identification] In the transverse section of the rhizome, the cork layer is seen as several rows of cork cells, and remnants of the rhytidome can be seen outside the cork layer. The cortex is composed of parenchyma cells, with numerous oil cells scattered throughout containing yellow oily substances; leaf trace vascular bundles are scattered in the cortex. The endodermis is distinct. Numerous collateral vascular bundles are scattered in the stele, commonly surrounded by fiber groups. The parenchyma cells contain abundant starch grains.
[Processing] Remove impurities and clean up.
[Medicinal uses] Nature and flavor: pungent, cold, slightly toxic. Meridian entry: enters the spleen and kidney meridians. Functions and indications: induce diuresis and reduce swelling, draw out toxins from sores. Used for edema and abdominal fullness of the excess type with constipation and closed urine. For external use, it treats carbuncles, sores, swellings and toxins. Usage and dosage: 9-15 g, decocted in water. For external use, an appropriate amount of the fresh product is pounded and applied to the affected area.