✵The article records the herb White Peony Root—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin Name, properties and flavor, and its botanical sources: two plant species, (1) Paeonia lactiflora Pall. and (2) Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa (Bunge) Stern.—with a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species; the characteristics of the herb White Peony Root; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Radix Paeoniae Alba (White Peony Root)
Pinyin Name: Bái Sháo
English Name: White Peony Root
Latin Name:Radix Paeoniae Alba Properties and Flavors: Cool in nature; bitter and sour in taste
Brief Introduction:Radix Paeoniae Alba is the peeled and dried root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. It is used (1) to nourish the blood and regulate menstruation for treating menstrual disorders; (2) to pacify the liver and alleviate pain, relieving headache, hypochondriac pain, and spastic limb pain; and (3) to relieve excessive sweating. The herb is commonly known as Radix Paeoniae Alba, White Peony Root, or Bái Sháo.
Botanical Source: Classical herbal book define Bai Sháo (White Peony Root) as the root of (1) Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (cultivated variety). Other authoritative herbal classics also accept (2) Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa (Bunge) Stern. as a botanical source. Both belong to the genus Paeonia L., family Ranunculaceae (buttercup family), order Ranales (Ranunculales). These two commonly used species are described below:
(1) Paeonia lactiflora Pall.
Botanical Description: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. is a perennial flowering herb of the Ranunculaceae family and genus Paeonia. It is also known as Paeonia albiflora Pall. and commonly referred to as White Peony or Sháo Yào.
It grows 40–70 cm tall and is glabrous. Its taproot is hypertrophied (hypertrophic), fusiform or cylindrical, and dark brown to blackish-brown. The stem is erect, branched in the upper part, and bears several sheathing membranous scales at the base. Leaves are alternate; petioles reach up to 9 cm in length. Cauline leaves at the stem apex have shorter petioles; those on the lower stem are biternate compound leaves, while those on the upper stem are trifoliolate. Leaflets are narrowly ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate (7.5–12 cm long, 2–4 cm wide), with an acuminate apex and cuneate or oblique base. Margins bear fine, white cartilaginous teeth; both surfaces are glabrous, though sparse pubescence occurs along the veins on the lower surface; leaf texture is somewhat coriaceous.
Flowers are hermaphroditic, several flowers grow in small clusters at the stem apex or leaf axils, 7–12 cm in diameter. There are 4–5 lanceolate bracts of unequal size; 4 sepals (calyx lobes), broad-ovate to orbicular (1–1.5 cm long, 1–1.7 cm wide), green and persistent; 9–13 obovate petals (3.5–6 cm long, 1.5–4.5 cm wide), white—sometimes with dark purple or deep purple ('modena') patches at the base, or pinkish hues; cultivated varieties exhibit diverse petal colors and polyphyllous forms (polyphyll). Stamens are numerous; filaments measure 7–12 mm; anthers are yellow. The floral disc is shallowly cyathiform (cup-shaped), enveloping the base of the carpels; apical lobes are blunt. Carpels number 2–5, separate and glabrous.
Follicles are ovate or ovoid (2.5–3 cm long, 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter), with a beaked apex (rostrum). Flowering occurs from May to June; fruiting from June to August. A more detailed description of its plant parts follows:
Stems: Stems arise in clusters from the roots and reach 50–110 cm in height. They are herbaceous; the basal portion is cylindrical, while the upper portion is angled or ridged—some tortuous, some straight—and often violet-red in sun-exposed areas.
Leaves: Lower-stem leaves are biternate pinnate compound leaves. Each terminal leaf unit consists of three leaflets; lateral units on either side typically contain four leaflets. In mid-stem leaves, the terminal three leaflets remain unchanged, but lateral leaflet numbers decrease progressively—from four to three, two, one, or even zero. When lateral leaflets are absent, only the terminal three remain, forming a tripinnate compound leaf. Upper-stem leaves are simple. Leaves are 20–24 cm long; leaflets vary in shape—elliptic, narrowly ovate, or lanceolate. The leaf apex is long-acuminate; margins are slightly undulate and bear dense, white, cartilaginous teeth. The adaxial surface is yellowish green, green, or deep green; the abaxial surface is typically pinkish green, pilose or glabrous. Paeonia lactiflora leaves possess ornamental value and may be cultivated as foliage plants.
Buds: Buds arise from the root neck, are succulent, and overwinter underground. As temperatures rise in early spring, they emerge from the soil. Upon initial emergence, buds are hot pink (water-red or cerise) to light violet-red; some are yellow. As they growing longer, bud color deepens—typically becoming claret (dark purplish-red)—and they remain protected by overlapping scales. Paeonia lactiflora buds are mixed buds: they give rise to both floral structures and nutritorium (stems and leaves). Prior to germination, bud length measures 2.5–4 cm. Post-emergence bud color and shape vary among cultivars, ranging from claret to yellowish brown.
Bud shapes fall into three types: short-circular, bamboo-shoot, and brush-tip. The short-circular type has short, blunt-ended buds; the bamboo-shoot type features elongated, sharply pointed buds resembling bamboo shoots; the brush-tip type exhibits long, tapering (acuminate) tips reminiscent of a calligraphy brush nib. Peony bud emergence is among the most spectacular natural phenomena, embodying germination and vital energy—hence its high ornamental and aesthetic value.
Flower Bud: The peony flower bud is a mixed bud [1] and is classified as a subterranean bud. After germination, the mixed bud emerges from the soil; stems and leaves develop first, followed by petals and flowers. Structurally, it is a complex of multiple primordia, comprising: the apical vegetative meristem (growth point), bud scales, axillary bud primordia located in the axils of bud scales, bract primordia, sepal primordia, petal primordia, stamen primordia, and pistil primordia. This primary bud is termed as the "mother bud"; the bud scales and associated axillary bud primordia within the phyllopodium constitute the initial bodies ("protobodies") of daughter buds. Axillary bud primordia in the phyllopodium lack bud scales and thus form naked buds; by contrast, those situated in the axils of bud scales are enveloped by scales, forming scaly buds.
In spring, scaly buds germinate. Daughter naked buds elongate through internode extension of the mother mixed bud and emerge aboveground, developing into flowering branches or lateral branches on the main stem. Daughter scaly buds, however, remain subterranean. After aboveground parts withers in autumn, the daughter scaly bud at the root-neck apex differentiates into an apical bud. In fact, Paeonia lactiflora possesses only one true apical bud—the original apical meristem formed during seedling establishment. The following year, this daughter scaly bud germinates, producing aboveground shoots, leaves, and flowers. Thus, the life cycle of a naked bud is two years, whereas that of a scaly bud spans three years.
Axillary buds of underground scaly buds appear around August. The apical vegetative meristem then initiates bud scale primordium formation progressively—from outer to inner layers. By May of the following year, four layers of bud scale peridium vegetative points have formed; bud scale differentiation concludes by late June. Thereafter, the apical meristem begins producing phyllopodia (leaf primordia). Phyllopodia exhibit multiple dactylose (finger-like) protrusions, whereas bud scale primordia number only one to three. Leaf primordium differentiation commences in early August and concludes in early September.
Flower buds display diverse shapes: round-peach, flat-round-peach, oblate-peach, pointed-round-peach, long-round-peach, pointed-peach, obliquely-pointed-peach, long-pointed-peach, and flat-peach. The outer whorl comprises five sepals—leafy-lanceolate and green—decreasing gradually in size from basal to apical positions. The inner whorl contains three sepals (excluding variants); these are green or yellowish-green, sometimes striped with yellowish-white or violet-red markings, and vary in shape—obovate, broadly ovate, rounded, elliptic, or irregular.
Peony flowers typically bloom singly at the stem apex or in the uppermost (adaxial) leaf axils; in rare species, two or three flowers may occur in a fascicle. The flower of the protospecies is white, 8–11 cm in diameter, with 5–13 obovate petals, numerous stamens bearing yellow filaments, and a shallowly cyathiform (cup-shaped) floral disc that envelops the base of the carpel; the disc apex is blunt. There are 3–5 glabrous or pilose carpels, each terminating in a rostrum (beak). Garden-cultivated peonies exhibit rich floral color variation—including white, pink, red, purple, yellow, green, near-black, and blended hues. Flowers range from 10–30 cm in diameter; petal count may exceed 100, with some cultivars bearing up to 880 petals. Floral forms are highly diverse. Flowering occurs from May to June; fruiting peaks in August.
Follicles—2 to 8 in number—are free (separated), each derived from a single carpel. They are fusiform (spindle-shaped), elliptic, ovate, or doliform (bottle-shaped); surfaces are smooth or finely pubescent, often bearing small, protruding apical tips. The ovary is unilocular and contains 5–7 seeds. Follicles possess medicinal value.
Peony seeds are black or dark brown (black brown). Each seed is unilocular(containing one locule) or up to 5 loculi. Seeds are globose, oblong, or conoid.
The root of Paeonia lactiflora consists of three parts: the root collar, the tuberous root, and the fibrous roots. The root collar is the uppermost portion of the root system; it is darker in color and bears adventitious buds. The tuberous root develops below the root collar: it is succulent, stout (thick and strong), and either fusiform (spindle-shaped) or long-cylindrical (0.6–3.5 cm in diameter), with a fawn (light yellowish-brown) or grayish-purple outer surface and white, nutrient-rich interior. Tuberous roots rarely produce buds directly; however, when fractured, they can generate new adventitious buds. Thus, roots over 5 cm in length—harvested in autumn—retain vegetative propagation capacity. Fibrous roots arise primarily from the tuberous root and serve as the principal organs for water and nutrient absorption; under favorable conditions, they may gradually thicken and transform into tuberous roots. Peony roots vary markedly in morphology and are broadly classified into three types: thick-rooted, sloping-rooted, and uniform-rooted. In the thick-rooted type, roots are sparse, big, straight, and markedly thickened; in the sloping-rooted type, roots diverge laterally with uneven thickness; in the uniform-rooted type, root density and diameter are consistent. Roots are used medicinally.
Ecological Environment: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. grows naturally on grassy hillsides, mountain slopes, and in woods. It is native to and predominantly distributed across China. Cultivation occurs widely—in cities, counties, villages, and small towns—and plants are commonly featured in urban parks for ornamental purposes.
Collection: The medicinal herb is the root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., mainly cultivated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin. All commercial "white peony root" is cultivated (not wild-harvested). Roots are harvested in summer or autumn, thoroughly washed, and processed by removing lateral roots and the periderm (outer bark). They are then briefly boiled for a short while and sun-dried, sliced, and used raw, stir-baked, or stir-baked with wine.
Growth Characteristics: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. prefers a warm, humid climate but exhibits tolerance to cold and drought; it is intolerant of waterlogging. Optimal cultivation sites feature full sunlight, deep well-drained soils, high fertility, loose texture, and abundant humus—ideally loam or sandy loam. Saline-alkaline soils and low-lying, poorly drained areas must be avoided. Continuous cropping is discouraged; crop rotation with Carthamus tinctorius (safflower), Chrysanthemum morifolium, or leguminous species is recommended.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried root is cylindrical, evenly proportioned, mostly straight or slightly curved, measuring 5–20 cm (or 10–40 cm) in length and 0.6–3 cm (or 1–2.5 cm) in diameter. Bo Bai Shao exhibits a gypseous or off-white surface, smooth and lustrous; Hang Bai Shao displays a brown or hazel (pale brown) surface, coarser and rougher, with prominent, vertically oriented, slightly twisted wrinkles and laterally protuberant lenticels, as well as fine root scars. The outer periderm (root bark) is readily detachable. The herb is hard, dense, and heavy—difficult to fracture. The fracture surface is ash-gray (grayish-white) or faintly brownish, flat and corneous; the cortex is narrow and dark; xylem rays are distinct and radially arranged, occasionally fissured. It has a faint, characteristic aroma and a slightly bitter and sour taste.
Pharmacological actions: (1) analgesic action; (2) spasmolytic effects; (3) hepatoprotective and detoxifying effects; (4) effects on the cardiovascular system and anti-hypoxic activity; (5) modulation of immune function, etc.
Medicinal efficacy: Nourishing blood to regulate menstruation; nourishing blood and harmonizing the nutritive qi; nourishing blood and softening the liver; warming the middle energizer to relieve pain; consolidating yin and stopping spontaneous sweating; consolidating yin and subduing liver-yang; softening the liver and relieving pain; subduing liver-yang. It is indicated for blood deficiency with sallow complexion, yin deficiency with tidal fever, spontaneous sweating, night sweats, menstrual irregularity, dysmenorrhea (abdominal pain before or during menstruation), metrorrhagia and metrostaxis (uterine bleeding), abnormal leukorrhea, hypochondriac pain, abdominal pain, chest, abdominal, and lateral thoracic pain, diarrhea, dysentery with abdominal pain, limb pain, headache, dizziness, etc.
Administration of Radix Paeoniae Alba (Bái Sháo):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Radix Paeoniae Alba (Bái Sháo)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 6–15 grams; (2) Internally: Water decoction, 2–4 qián (≈6–12 grams), or prepared as pills or powder; (3) Internally: Water decoction, 5–12 grams; or prepared as pills or powder. Higher doses may reach 15–30 grams.
Contraindications, Precautions and Adverse Reactions: Radix Paeoniae Alba should not be combined with Dendrobium, nitre (potassium nitrate), turtle shell (Carapax Testudinis), Herba Cirsii, or Black False Hellebore (Veratrum nigrum). It should be avoided in exanthematic conditions.
(2) Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa (Bunge) Stern
Botanical description: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa (Bunge) Stern is a perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family (buttercup family) and the genus Paeonia. It is also known as Paeonia albiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa Bunge and Paeonia yui Fang, commonly called Máo Guǒ Sháo Yào ("Pilose-fruited Peony"). The roots are thick; stems grow to approximately 40–70 cm in height and are glabrous. Lower cauline leaves are bipinnately or tripinnately compound; upper cauline leaves are tripinnately compound; leaflets are narrowly ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, with acuminate apices and cuneate or oblique bases; margins bear fine, white, cartilaginous teeth; both surfaces are glabrous, with sparse pubescence along the veins on the lower surface.
Flowers are few, grow on stems and leaf axils; sometimes only the terminal flower blooms, while underdeveloped floral buds occur near the apical buds; flower diameter is 8–11.5 cm; sepals number 4–5, lanceolate and unequal in size; 4 sepals are broadly ovate or suborbicular, 1–1.5 cm long and 1–1.7 cm wide; petals number 9–13, obovate, 3.5–6 cm long and 1.5–4.5 cm wide, white—sometimes dark purple at the base; filaments are 0.7–1.2 cm long and yellow; the floral disc is shallowly cyathiform (cup-shaped), enveloping the base of the carpels, with blunt apical lobes; carpels number 2–5 and are glabrous; alae (winged stems) are 2.5–3 cm long and 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter, with a rostrum (beak) at the apex. Flowering occurs from May to June; fruiting occurs in August.
The main difference between this variety and Paeonia lactiflora Pall. is that the carpels and young fruits are densely pilose, whereas mature follicles are sparsely pilose.
Ecological Environment: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa (Bunge) Stern grows in mountain shrublands, hillside meadows, mountain slopes, and forests. It is primarily distributed in China and also occurs in northern Asia and the Siberian region.
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Explanatory Notes:
1. Mixed bud: a bud that produces both vegetative shoots (branches and leaves) and reproductive structures (flowers).
✵The article records the herb White Peony Root—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin Name, properties and flavor, and its botanical sources: two plant species, (1) Paeonia lactiflora Pall. and (2) Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa (Bunge) Stern.—with a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species; the characteristics of the herb White Peony Root; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Bái Sháo
Botanical Description: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. is a perennial flowering herb of the Ranunculaceae family and genus Paeonia. It is also known as Paeonia albiflora Pall. and commonly referred to as White Peony or Sháo Yào.
Flowers are hermaphroditic, several flowers grow in small clusters at the stem apex or leaf axils, 7–12 cm in diameter. There are 4–5 lanceolate bracts of unequal size; 4 sepals (calyx lobes), broad-ovate to orbicular (1–1.5 cm long, 1–1.7 cm wide), green and persistent; 9–13 obovate petals (3.5–6 cm long, 1.5–4.5 cm wide), white—sometimes with dark purple or deep purple ('modena') patches at the base, or pinkish hues; cultivated varieties exhibit diverse petal colors and polyphyllous forms (polyphyll). Stamens are numerous; filaments measure 7–12 mm; anthers are yellow. The floral disc is shallowly cyathiform (cup-shaped), enveloping the base of the carpels; apical lobes are blunt. Carpels number 2–5, separate and glabrous.
Stems: Stems arise in clusters from the roots and reach 50–110 cm in height. They are herbaceous; the basal portion is cylindrical, while the upper portion is angled or ridged—some tortuous, some straight—and often violet-red in sun-exposed areas.
Buds: Buds arise from the root neck, are succulent, and overwinter underground. As temperatures rise in early spring, they emerge from the soil. Upon initial emergence, buds are hot pink (water-red or cerise) to light violet-red; some are yellow. As they growing longer, bud color deepens—typically becoming claret (dark purplish-red)—and they remain protected by overlapping scales. Paeonia lactiflora buds are mixed buds: they give rise to both floral structures and nutritorium (stems and leaves). Prior to germination, bud length measures 2.5–4 cm. Post-emergence bud color and shape vary among cultivars, ranging from claret to yellowish brown.
Flower Bud: The peony flower bud is a mixed bud [1] and is classified as a subterranean bud. After germination, the mixed bud emerges from the soil; stems and leaves develop first, followed by petals and flowers. Structurally, it is a complex of multiple primordia, comprising: the apical vegetative meristem (growth point), bud scales, axillary bud primordia located in the axils of bud scales, bract primordia, sepal primordia, petal primordia, stamen primordia, and pistil primordia. This primary bud is termed as the "mother bud"; the bud scales and associated axillary bud primordia within the phyllopodium constitute the initial bodies ("protobodies") of daughter buds. Axillary bud primordia in the phyllopodium lack bud scales and thus form naked buds; by contrast, those situated in the axils of bud scales are enveloped by scales, forming scaly buds.
In spring, scaly buds germinate. Daughter naked buds elongate through internode extension of the mother mixed bud and emerge aboveground, developing into flowering branches or lateral branches on the main stem. Daughter scaly buds, however, remain subterranean. After aboveground parts withers in autumn, the daughter scaly bud at the root-neck apex differentiates into an apical bud. In fact, Paeonia lactiflora possesses only one true apical bud—the original apical meristem formed during seedling establishment. The following year, this daughter scaly bud germinates, producing aboveground shoots, leaves, and flowers. Thus, the life cycle of a naked bud is two years, whereas that of a scaly bud spans three years.
Axillary buds of underground scaly buds appear around August. The apical vegetative meristem then initiates bud scale primordium formation progressively—from outer to inner layers. By May of the following year, four layers of bud scale peridium vegetative points have formed; bud scale differentiation concludes by late June. Thereafter, the apical meristem begins producing phyllopodia (leaf primordia). Phyllopodia exhibit multiple dactylose (finger-like) protrusions, whereas bud scale primordia number only one to three. Leaf primordium differentiation commences in early August and concludes in early September.
Peony flowers typically bloom singly at the stem apex or in the uppermost (adaxial) leaf axils; in rare species, two or three flowers may occur in a fascicle. The flower of the protospecies is white, 8–11 cm in diameter, with 5–13 obovate petals, numerous stamens bearing yellow filaments, and a shallowly cyathiform (cup-shaped) floral disc that envelops the base of the carpel; the disc apex is blunt. There are 3–5 glabrous or pilose carpels, each terminating in a rostrum (beak). Garden-cultivated peonies exhibit rich floral color variation—including white, pink, red, purple, yellow, green, near-black, and blended hues. Flowers range from 10–30 cm in diameter; petal count may exceed 100, with some cultivars bearing up to 880 petals. Floral forms are highly diverse. Flowering occurs from May to June; fruiting peaks in August.
The root of Paeonia lactiflora consists of three parts: the root collar, the tuberous root, and the fibrous roots. The root collar is the uppermost portion of the root system; it is darker in color and bears adventitious buds. The tuberous root develops below the root collar: it is succulent, stout (thick and strong), and either fusiform (spindle-shaped) or long-cylindrical (0.6–3.5 cm in diameter), with a fawn (light yellowish-brown) or grayish-purple outer surface and white, nutrient-rich interior. Tuberous roots rarely produce buds directly; however, when fractured, they can generate new adventitious buds. Thus, roots over 5 cm in length—harvested in autumn—retain vegetative propagation capacity. Fibrous roots arise primarily from the tuberous root and serve as the principal organs for water and nutrient absorption; under favorable conditions, they may gradually thicken and transform into tuberous roots. Peony roots vary markedly in morphology and are broadly classified into three types: thick-rooted, sloping-rooted, and uniform-rooted. In the thick-rooted type, roots are sparse, big, straight, and markedly thickened; in the sloping-rooted type, roots diverge laterally with uneven thickness; in the uniform-rooted type, root density and diameter are consistent. Roots are used medicinally.
Ecological Environment: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. grows naturally on grassy hillsides, mountain slopes, and in woods. It is native to and predominantly distributed across China. Cultivation occurs widely—in cities, counties, villages, and small towns—and plants are commonly featured in urban parks for ornamental purposes.
Collection: The medicinal herb is the root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., mainly cultivated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin. All commercial "white peony root" is cultivated (not wild-harvested). Roots are harvested in summer or autumn, thoroughly washed, and processed by removing lateral roots and the periderm (outer bark). They are then briefly boiled for a short while and sun-dried, sliced, and used raw, stir-baked, or stir-baked with wine.
Growth Characteristics: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. prefers a warm, humid climate but exhibits tolerance to cold and drought; it is intolerant of waterlogging. Optimal cultivation sites feature full sunlight, deep well-drained soils, high fertility, loose texture, and abundant humus—ideally loam or sandy loam. Saline-alkaline soils and low-lying, poorly drained areas must be avoided. Continuous cropping is discouraged; crop rotation with Carthamus tinctorius (safflower), Chrysanthemum morifolium, or leguminous species is recommended.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried root is cylindrical, evenly proportioned, mostly straight or slightly curved, measuring 5–20 cm (or 10–40 cm) in length and 0.6–3 cm (or 1–2.5 cm) in diameter. Bo Bai Shao exhibits a gypseous or off-white surface, smooth and lustrous; Hang Bai Shao displays a brown or hazel (pale brown) surface, coarser and rougher, with prominent, vertically oriented, slightly twisted wrinkles and laterally protuberant lenticels, as well as fine root scars. The outer periderm (root bark) is readily detachable. The herb is hard, dense, and heavy—difficult to fracture. The fracture surface is ash-gray (grayish-white) or faintly brownish, flat and corneous; the cortex is narrow and dark; xylem rays are distinct and radially arranged, occasionally fissured. It has a faint, characteristic aroma and a slightly bitter and sour taste.
Botanical description: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa (Bunge) Stern is a perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family (buttercup family) and the genus Paeonia. It is also known as Paeonia albiflora Pall. var. trichocarpa Bunge and Paeonia yui Fang, commonly called Máo Guǒ Sháo Yào ("Pilose-fruited Peony"). The roots are thick; stems grow to approximately 40–70 cm in height and are glabrous. Lower cauline leaves are bipinnately or tripinnately compound; upper cauline leaves are tripinnately compound; leaflets are narrowly ovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, with acuminate apices and cuneate or oblique bases; margins bear fine, white, cartilaginous teeth; both surfaces are glabrous, with sparse pubescence along the veins on the lower surface.
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