Practical
Plants

Atractylodes lancea

Cang Zhu

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Flower type
dioecious

Uses

Edible uses

Root - raw or cooked. Exceedingly rich in vitamin A, it also contains 1.5% essential oils[4].

Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This plant is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine[5]. The root is a bitter-sweet tonic herb that acts mainly upon the digestive system[5]. The root is antibacterial, antiemetic, appetizer, digestive, diuretic, hypoglycaemic, sedative, stomachic and tonic[1][2][3][5]. It is often used in conjunction with other herbs such as Codonopsis tangshen and Glycyrrhiza uralensis[5]. 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[2]. The roots are harvested in the autumn and baked for use in tonics[5].

Product or use
Antiemetic
Product or use
Appetizer
Product or use
Digestive
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
Tonic

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Central China.
Habitat
Grassland, forests, thickets and rock crevices at elevations of 700 - 2500 metres[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

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[5]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any well-drained soil in sun or partial shade[5]. This species is dioecious. Both male and female plants need to be grown if seed is required[6].

References

  1. Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.

    ↩1↩2

  2. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩

  4. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

    ↩

  5. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  6. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩1↩2

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