Introduction of Bai Qian:Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii or Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome.

TCM Herbalism:Medicinals and Classifications. ✵The article gives records of the herb Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source 2 plant species, ①.Cynanchum stauntonii (Deone.) Schltr. ex Lévl., ②.Cynanchum glaucescens (Deone.) Hand. Mazz., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of these two plants, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these two plants, the features of the herb Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.

Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii(Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome).

Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome:herb photo Pin Yin Name: Bái Qián.
 English Name: Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome.
 Latin Name: Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii.
 Property and flavor: slight warm, pungent, bitter.

 Brief introduction: The herb Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii is the dried rhizome and root of Cynanchum stauntonii (Deone.) Schltr. ex Lévl. Or Cynanchum glaucescens (Deone.) Hand. Mazz., used for the treatment of cough and dyspnea with profuse phlegm. The herb is commonly known as Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii, Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome, Bái Qián.

 Botanical source: The herb Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii (Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome) is the dried rhizome and root of Cynanchum stauntonii (Deone.) Schltr. ex Lévl. Or Cynanchum glaucescens (Deone.) Hand. Mazz., they are plants of the Asclepiadaceae family (Asclepiadaceae, milkweed subfamily) of the Contortae order. It is also known as Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome, Glaucescent Swallowwort Rhizome, Rhizome of Willowleaf Swallowwort, Rhizome of Glaucescent Swallowwort, or Bái Qián.

 Cynanchum stauntoni Decne.Schltr.Ex Levl.:plant and leaves Herbal classic book defined the herb Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii(Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome) as the dried rhizome and root of:(1). Cynanchum stauntonii (Deone.) Schltr. ex Lévl., or (2). Cynanchum glaucescens (Deone.) Hand. Mazz. These 2 commonly used species are introduced:

(1).Cynanchum stauntonii (Deone.) Schltr. ex Lévl.


 Botanical description: Cynanchum stauntonii (Deone.) Schltr. ex Lévl. is also known as Pentasacme stauntonii Deone. It is also known as water willow, big crane gourd, willow-leaf Cynanchum, and Bai Qian. Perennial semierect bushy plant, the plant grows up to 0.5~1 meters high. The rhizome grows vertically or obliquely, hollow as a goose hair tube, the root is extremely developed, numerous, and thin, whisker shape, yellow-white or slightly reddish brown. The stem is cylindrical, stem surface is grey-green, with fine edges. Leaves are opposite, with short petioles; Leaf blade is papery, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 3~12 cm long, 0.3~1.4 cm wide, the apex is acuminate, the base is tapering, entire-edge, midrib is obvious on the undersurface of leaf, lateral veins are in about 6 pairs. Umbellate cyme is axillary, flowers 3~8, bractlets are numerous; Calyx is 5-parted, flower glands are not many on the base of internal surface; Corolla is rotated, 5-parted, the lobe is linear, purple-red, the internal surface has long pilose; catacorolla lobes are peltate, thickening, shorter than anther; stamens 5, grow together with pistils and form a colum, anther is 2-loculed, each anther cell has a piece of dropping light yellow pollinium (pollen mass); stigma is slightly protuberant, wrapped in the thin membrane of the anther. The follicle is simple, long and narrow-lanceolate, up to 9 cm long. The seed is lanceolate, and yellowish-brown, the apex has white thready, or silky hairs. Its flowering period is from May to August, the fruiting period is from September to October.

 Cynanchum stauntoni Decne.Schltr.Ex Levl.:growing plant Ecological environment: The plant grows on stream side, river banks, or damp places in valleys, and is half-submerged in water. It is mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River area, Zhujiang river area, southwest, and other areas of China.

 Growth characteristics: The plant grows on the beach, on the sand by the river, or in damp places in the valley. The plant prefers a warm and humid climate, and avoid drought, it is better to choose the upper layer of the deep soil layer, fertile humus for cultivation.

 Characters of herbs: The rhizome is cylindrical, branched, 4~14 cm long, and 2~4 mm in diameter; The surface is yellow-white to yellow-brown, with fine vertical wrinkles, and obvious nodes, internode length is 1.5~4 cm, and there are several residual stems on the top end; The texture of the herb is fragile and easily broken, the fracture surface is hollow or there is the membranous pith. The roots are slender and curved, grow clustered at nodes, 3~10 cm long, less than 1 mm in diameter, branched repeatedly into hairy whiskers, and often coiled into balls; The texture of the herb is fragile, and the fracture surface is white. The herb has a slight smell and tastes slightly bitter. The herb of better grade has thick roots and long fibrous roots.

 Pharmacological actions: ①.Effect on respiratory system; ②.Anti-inflammatory effect.

 Medicinal efficacy: Downbear Qi (sending down abnormally ascending), dissolving phlegm, relieving cough, indicated for treatment of cough with excessive phlegm accumulation of lung Qi, chest fullness and dyspnea with rapid respiration.

 Administration of Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii (Bái Qián): 
 
Reference: Administration Guide of Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii (Bái Qián)
TCM Books: ①.Internally:3~10 grams; ②.or 1.5~3 qian (about 4.5~9 grams); ③.3~10 grams, water decoction.

(2).Cynanchum glaucescens (Deone.) Hand. Mazz.


 Cynanchum glaucescens Decne.Hand.Mazz.:plant and leaves Botanical description: Cynanchum glaucescens (Deone.) Hand. Mazz. is also known as Pentasachme glaucescens Deone. It is commonly known as Yuan Hua Ye Bai Qian, Sha Xiao, or Shui Zhu Xiao, a perennial herb, the plant grows up to 25~40 cm tall. Rhizome prostrate, node is tufted, many fibrous roots. The stem is upright, young branches are brown hairy, and old branches are hairy on the residual part. Leaves are opposite, rarely sessile; the leaf blade is elliptic, 2.5~5 cm long, 0.8~1.5 cm wide, the apex is rounded or pointed, and the base is cuneate, entire-edge. Cymose is axillary; Calyx is yellow-green, nearly completely lobed, lobes are ovate; Corolla is yellow-white, deeply 5-lobed, lobes are ovoid; 5 corollas, yellow-green, fleshy, tuberculate, superventral around the apex of the pistil, several times as long as the pistil; 5 stamens, room covering the apex of stamen column; Ovary is superior, consisting of 2 nearly detached carpels, two styles apically joined to form a hypertrophic plate-like stigma. 1~2 follicles, narrowly ovoid, ca. 4.5 cm long. Seeds are numerous, the apex is with fine white tomentose. It is flowering in August, its fruiting period is from September to October.

 The differences between this species and Cynanchum stauntonii(Deone.) Schltr. ex Lévl. are: stem has two rows of pilose. The leaf blade is long elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, the apex is slightly obtuse, and the shape is similar to the leaf of Cynanchum stauntonii, 3~5 cm long, 1~1.5 cm wide, and nearly sessile. The flower is larger, the corolla is yellow-white.

 Ecological environment: The growth environment and distribution of Cynanchum glaucescens are the same as that of Cynanchum stauntonii. These two plant species often grow together.

 Growth characteristics: The plant grows on the beach, on the sand by the river, or in damp places in the valley. The plant prefers a warm and humid climate, and avoid drought, it is better to choose the upper layer of the deep soil layer, fertile humus for cultivation.

 Characters of herbs: The rhizome is short and small, the surface is grayish-green or light yellow, and the internode length is 1~2 cm long, the texture of the herb is hard, and the cavity of the fracture surface is small. The fibrous roots are slightly thick and long, 5~15 cm long, about 1 mm in diameter, with fewer branches, the texture of the herb is fragile and easily broken. The herb of better grade has thick roots and long fibrous roots.
 
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References:
  • 1.Introduction of Bai Qian:Rhizoma Cynanchi Stauntonii or Willowleaf Swallowwort Rhizome.

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