Dangshen (pilose asiabell or tangshen)

Dangshen is a species in the genus Codonopsis of the family Campanulaceae, with the scientific name Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. It is a perennial twining herbaceous plant. It gets its name because it originated in Shangdang Commandery in China (present-day Changzhi region, Shanxi Province). In the Sui Dynasty it was changed to Luzhou, hence it is also called Lu dangshen. It is distributed in China's Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai and other provinces (autonomous regions); it is also distributed in Korea and the Far East region of the former Soviet Union. It is mainly produced in China's Hebei, Shanxi, Henan and other provinces, and the one produced in Shanxi is renowned at home and abroad. The related plant Codonopsis tangshen Oliv. is also used medicinally; it is distributed in mountain forest-edge scrub at altitudes of 900-2300 m in Hubei, Sichuan and other provinces, and is also extensively cultivated.

The whole dangshen plant has milky sap and a distinctive unpleasant odour. The root is spindle-shaped and cylindrical, fleshy, with few branches or slightly branched below the middle, greyish yellow to greyish brown on the surface; the root head is swollen and bears numerous tumour-like stem scars, which is called a "lion's head". The stem is slender and much branched, with fine white hairs on the young parts. The leaves are alternate, opposite or falsely whorled. The leaf blades are ovate or broadly ovate, nearly cordate at the base, entire or slightly wavy. The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils; the calyx is green with 5 lobes; the corolla is bell-shaped, yellow-green with purple spots. The capsule is conical, with numerous small, brownish yellow glossy seeds. The flowering period is from August to September, and the fruiting period is from September to October. Codonopsis tangshen is similar in form to dangshen. Its stem is smooth and hairless; the leaf blades are ovate to oblong-ovate, wedge-shaped at the base, almost hairless above and bearing rough down below.

It prefers a cool climate, and the seedlings are intolerant of strong light; it is suitable for cultivation in humus soil or sandy loam. Broadcast sowing or drilling may be used; for drilling, the row spacing is about 10 cm, a shallow furrow 1 cm deep is opened, the seeds are sown evenly, and a thin layer of soil is used to cover them, just enough to cover the seeds, then grain straw or pine branches are spread over them to retain moisture and provide shade. Water appropriately after sowing; the sowing rate is about 15 kg per hectare. When the seedlings are about 5 cm tall, remove the covering straw in batches to avoid killing the seedlings by strong sunlight. It can be intercropped with corn and @#@245@#@, etc. The planting site should be chosen as sandy loam with sufficient sunlight, deep and fertile soil and good drainage; apply sufficient base fertiliser, plough deeply and harrow finely, make beds or ridges, open furrows 15-20 cm deep at a row spacing of 20-30 cm, place the seedlings obliquely in the furrows at a plant spacing of 6-10 cm, then cover with 5-6 cm of soil. About 375 kg of root stock is needed per hectare. When the seedlings are about 30 cm tall, set up trellises to let the stems and vines climb and grow. At this time, one application of human manure and urine may be made to promote rapid growth of the stems and vines. It can also be relay-cropped with tall-stemmed crops. Pests and diseases include rust Puccinia campanumoeae, root rot Fusarium sp.; cutworms, white grubs, aphids, red spiders, etc. Generally, the yield is 3750-6000 kg of dried goods per hectare.

Sweet in taste and neutral in nature. It has the functions of tonifying qi, nourishing blood and promoting fluid production. It is used for symptoms such as weakness of spleen qi, poor appetite and loose stools, fatigue of the limbs, shortness of breath with cough and asthma, weak voice, dizziness and palpitations due to blood deficiency, and dry tongue and thirst due to depletion of fluids.