Introduction of Bai Wei:Blackened Swallowwort Root or Radix Cynanchi Atrati.
✵The article gives records of the herb Blackened Swallowwort Root, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source two plant species, ①.Cynanchum atratum Bunge., ②.Cynanchum versicolor Bunge., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of these two plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these two plant species, the features of the herb Blackened Swallowwort Root, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Pin Yin Name: Bái Wēi.
English Name: Blackened Swallowwort Root.
Latin Name: Radix Cynanchi Atrati.
Property and flavor: cold, bitter, salty.
Brief introduction: The herb Radix Cynanchi Atrati is the dried root and rhizome of Cynanchum atratum Bunge. Or Cynanchum versicolor Bunge., used (1).to clear heat and cool blood for fever in cases of consumptive diseases or cases due to Yin deficiency, (2).to induce diuresis in cases of heat stranguria and bloody stranguria, and (3).to counteract toxins in cases of boils and sores. The herb is commonly known as Blackend Swallowwort Root, Root of Blackend Swallowwort, Root of Versicolorous Swallowwort or Bái Wēi.
Botanical source: The herb Radix Cynanchi Atrati (Blackened Swallowwort Root) is the dried root and rhizome of Cynanchum atratum Bunge., or Cynanchum versicolor Bunge., they are plants of the Cynanchum Linn. Genus, the Asclepiadaceae family (milkweed subfamily) of the Contortae order.
Herbal classic book defined the herb Radix Cynanchi Atrati (Blackened Swallowwort Root) as the dried root and rhizome of (1). Cynanchum atratum Bunge. Or (2). Cynanchum versicolor Bunge. These 2 commonly used species are introduced:
(1).Cynanchum atratum Bunge.
Botanical description: The plant, Cynanchum atratum Bunge is also known as Vincetoxicum atratum (Bunge) Morr.et Decne. It is commonly known as Bai Wei, Blackend Swallowwort, also known as upright Blackend Swallowwort, Zhi Li Bai Wei or San Bai Gen. A perennial herb, the plant grows up to 40~70 cm tall. The plant body has white latex. Rhizomes are short, tuft with many slender strip roots, over 20 cm long, 2~3 mm in diameter, and out bark is khaki (yellowish brown). Stem is upright, green, cylindrical, usually unbranched, densely covered with ash gray (grayish-white) short pubescence. Leaves are opposite, are short stipitate; leaf blades are oval (egg-shaped) or ovate-oblong, about 5~10 cm long, about 3~7 cm wide, the apex is short and acuminate, the base is circular, entire, both surfaces are covered with white fluff, especially dense on the leaf back and veins; lateral veins are in 6~7 pairs.
Many flowers, densely cluster into an umbellate cyme in the leaf axils on the stem tip; peduncle is absent, flowers are modena (dark purple), about 10 mm in diameter; calyx is green, 5-parted, out surface is tomentose, inner surface base has 5 small glands; corolla is rotated, 5-parted, out surface has pubescence and has marginal seta (tricholoma); catacorolla is 5-lobed, lobes are scutiform (peltate or shield-like), circular, as long as the gynostemium; anthers apex has a circular membrane; 1 pollinium (pollen mass) per loculus, pendulous, oblong-shaped inflated; stigma is oblate.
Follicles are solitary, 5~9 cm long, and 5~15 mm in diameter, the apex is acuminate, the base is obtuse, and the middle part is dilated. Many seeds, ovoid, have narrow wings, about 4 mm long; seed hair is white, about 3 cm long. Its flowering period is from May to July, and the fruiting period is from August to October.
Ecological environment: Cynanchum atratum grows on hillsides, mountain slopes or forest edges. The plant is mainly distributed in the northern, central, and southern, southwest areas, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and other areas of China.
Growth characteristics: Cynanchum atratum prefers a warm and humid climate, it is tolerant to cold. It is appropriate to choose a sunny field with deep soil layers, good drainage, fertile sandy loam or loam rich in humus for cultivation.
Characters of herbs: The rhizome of Cynanchum atratum Bunge is mostly curved, thick and short, stubby and knotted, 0.5~1.2 cm in diameter; there are several circular concave stem marks at the top end, or short stem base, and many fibrous roots are clustered at the lower part and on both sides. The root is cylindrical and slightly bent, its shape is similar to a horsetail, 5~25 cm long, and 1~2 mm in diameter; the surface is yellowish-brown to brown, has fine longitudinal wrinkles or is smooth. The texture of the herb is crisp, and easily to break, the fracture surface is flat; the cortex is developed, yellowish white to pale yellowish-brown; the xylem (wood part) is small and yellow. The smell is slight, it tastes slight bitter. The herb of a better grade has thick and long roots, even strips, and yellowish-brown.
Pharmacological actions: ①.inhibitory effect on pneumococcus; ②.clearing heat and diuresis; ③.enhance the contractility of myocardium.
Medicinal efficacy: Clear heat and benefit Yin, diuretic and treating stranguria, detoxify and cure sores. It is indicated for warm heat disease, fever and macula, hot flash and bone steaming, lung heat and cough, postpartum dysphoria, pyretic stranguria, bloody stranguria, swelling and pain in throat, sore carbuncle and pyogenic infections, snake bite.
Administration of Radix Cynanchi Atrati (Bái Wēi):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Radix Cynanchi Atrati (Bái Wēi)
TCM Books:
①.Internally:4.5~9 grams; ②.Internally:water decoction, 1.5~3 qian (about 4.5~9 grams), or prepare to pill,powder; ③.Internally:water decoction, 3~15 grams, prepared to pill,powder.
Contraindications,Precautions and Adverse Reactions: the herb Radix Cynanchi Atrati should not be combined with Astragalus root, Rhubarb root and rhizome, Euphorbia pekinensis, Rhizoma zingiberis, Lacca sinica exsiccata, Fructus Jujubae, Fructus corni.
(2).Cynanchum versicolor Bunge.
Botanical description: The plant, Cynanchum versicolor Bunge is also known as Vincetoxicum versicolor Decne. It is commonly known as Versicolorous Swallowwort, Wan Sheng Bai Wei, Wan Bai Wei, or Bai Hua Niu Pi Xiao. The plant is similar to Cynanchum atratum Bunge, the different features are: the plant does not have white latex, and the upper part of the stems intertwine, the lower part of the stem is upright, and the leaf texture is relatively thin. Flowers are small, yellowish-green at the initial stage, gradually turning dark violet (dull purple), and the inner surface of corolla lobes is pilose.
Ecological environment: Cynanchum versicolor Bunge grows in the mountain bushes, it is mainly distributed in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the middle to lower reaches of the Yellow River, and other areas of China.
Characters of herbs: The rhizome and the remaining stem base are thin, and the roots are mostly bended. The herb of a better grade has thick and long roots, even strips, and yellowish-brown.
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1.Introduction of Bai Wei:Blackened Swallowwort Root or Radix Cynanchi Atrati.
✵The article gives records of the herb Blackened Swallowwort Root, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source two plant species, ①.Cynanchum atratum Bunge., ②.Cynanchum versicolor Bunge., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of these two plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these two plant species, the features of the herb Blackened Swallowwort Root, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Pin Yin Name: Bái Wēi.
Herbal classic book defined the herb Radix Cynanchi Atrati (Blackened Swallowwort Root) as the dried root and rhizome of (1). Cynanchum atratum Bunge. Or (2). Cynanchum versicolor Bunge. These 2 commonly used species are introduced:
Botanical description: The plant, Cynanchum atratum Bunge is also known as Vincetoxicum atratum (Bunge) Morr.et Decne. It is commonly known as Bai Wei, Blackend Swallowwort, also known as upright Blackend Swallowwort, Zhi Li Bai Wei or San Bai Gen. A perennial herb, the plant grows up to 40~70 cm tall. The plant body has white latex. Rhizomes are short, tuft with many slender strip roots, over 20 cm long, 2~3 mm in diameter, and out bark is khaki (yellowish brown). Stem is upright, green, cylindrical, usually unbranched, densely covered with ash gray (grayish-white) short pubescence. Leaves are opposite, are short stipitate; leaf blades are oval (egg-shaped) or ovate-oblong, about 5~10 cm long, about 3~7 cm wide, the apex is short and acuminate, the base is circular, entire, both surfaces are covered with white fluff, especially dense on the leaf back and veins; lateral veins are in 6~7 pairs.
Ecological environment: Cynanchum atratum grows on hillsides, mountain slopes or forest edges. The plant is mainly distributed in the northern, central, and southern, southwest areas, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and other areas of China.
Botanical description: The plant, Cynanchum versicolor Bunge is also known as Vincetoxicum versicolor Decne. It is commonly known as Versicolorous Swallowwort, Wan Sheng Bai Wei, Wan Bai Wei, or Bai Hua Niu Pi Xiao. The plant is similar to Cynanchum atratum Bunge, the different features are: the plant does not have white latex, and the upper part of the stems intertwine, the lower part of the stem is upright, and the leaf texture is relatively thin. Flowers are small, yellowish-green at the initial stage, gradually turning dark violet (dull purple), and the inner surface of corolla lobes is pilose.
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