Introduction of Wu Jia Pi: Slenderstyle Acanthopanax Bark
✵This article documents the herb Slenderstyle Acanthopanax Bark, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely, Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith—and provides a detailed introduction to the plant’s botanical features, growth characteristics, ecological environment, herbal characteristics, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Wǔ Jiā Pí
English Name: Slenderstyle Acanthopanax Bark
Latin Name:Cortex Acanthopanacis Properties and Flavor: Slightly sweet, warm, pungent, and bitter
Brief Introduction:Cortex Acanthopanacis is the dried root bark of Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith. It dispels wind-dampness, strengthens tendons and bones, and promotes diuresis for treating rheumatic disorders and edema. Common names include Cortex Acanthopanacis, Slenderstyle Acanthopanax Bark, and Wǔ Jiā Pí.
Botanical Source:Cortex Acanthopanacis (Slenderstyle Acanthopanax Bark) is the dried root bark of Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith, a species in the genus Eleutherococcus (formerly Acanthopanax), family Araliaceae (the ginseng or ivy family), order Apiales.
(1) Acanthopanax gracilistylus W.W. Smith
Botanical Description:Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith is a shrub—sometimes creeping—that belongs to the Araliaceae family and the genus Eleutherococcus. It is commonly known as Slender Acanthopanax, Xi Zhu Wǔ Jiā, or Acanthopanax gracilistylus; the herb is derived from its root bark and is commercially named Slenderstyle Acanthopanax Root Bark. Plants reach 2–3 m in height; branches are taupe-brown, typically unarmed (spineless), though single flat spines may occur at petiole bases. Leaves are palmately compound and alternate on long branches, fascicled on short shoots; petioles measure 3–8 cm and often bear fine spines. Leaflets number five (rarely three or four); the central leaflet is largest, obovate to oblanceolate, 3–8 cm long and 1–3.5 cm wide, with an acute or shortly acuminate apex and cuneate base. Both surfaces are glabrous or sparsely bristly along veins; pale brown tufts occur in axils on the abaxial surface; margins are serrulate.
Umbels are axillary or solitary, grow at the tips of short branches, ~2 cm in diameter; peduncles are 1–2 cm long; pedicels are 6–10 mm long; calyx is 5-lobed; flowers are yellowish-green, with five oblong-ovate petals, apically acute and reflexed during anthesis; stamens number five, with slender, elongated filaments; ovary is bilocular, with two styles—either distinct or fused at the base—and sphaerocephalous stigmas.
Drupes are berry-like, oblate, 5–6 mm in diameter, turning black at maturity; persistent styles are recurved. Each fruit contains two small, ovoid, pale brown (hazel-colored) seeds. Flowering occurs from April to July; fruiting, from July to October.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows in shrublands, along forest edges, on hillsides and mountain slopes, roadsides, and near villages.
Growth Characteristics:Acanthopanax gracilistylus prefers a mild, humid climate and tolerates shade and cold. Optimal cultivation sites feature deep, fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic alluvial soil or sandy loam, located in sunny, humid areas on hillsides, mountain slopes, hills, or riverbanks. Gravelly, heavy clay, or excessively sandy soils are unsuitable for cultivation.
Characteristics of the Herb: The root bark occurs as irregular single or double scrolls, or as lumps and fragments, 4–15 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm in diameter, and 1–4 mm thick. The outer surface is taupe-brown or dust-colored, bearing irregular fissures, slightly twisted longitudinal wrinkles, and elongated lenticels; the inner surface is light yellow or sallow (grayish-yellow), with fine longitudinal striations. The material is lightweight and brittle; fracture surfaces are irregular, ash-gray (grayish-white) or sallow (grayish-yellow). The herb has a faint aromatic odor and a slightly pungent and bitter taste.
Medicinal Efficacy: Dispels wind-dampness, invigorates the liver and kidneys, strengthens muscles and bones, and activates blood circulation. It is indicated for wind-damp bi syndrome (rheumatic arthralgia), muscular atrophy and weakness, low back and knee pain, delayed walking in infants, general physical debility, emaciation, asthenia, edema, beriberi, bone fractures, traumatic injuries from falls, genital pruritus and damp-itching, among others.
Administration of Cortex Acanthopanacis (Wǔ Jiā Pí):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Cortex Acanthopanacis (Wǔ Jiā Pí)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally:4.5–9 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 1.5–3 qián (≈4.5–9 grams); wine-based infusion; or prepared as pills or powder. External use: crush fresh herb and apply as a poultice. (3) Internally: water decoction,6–9 grams (dried herb); fresh herb, double the dosage; wine-based infusion; or prepared as pills or powder. External use: appropriate amount; fumigation and wash with aqueous decoction, or prepare powdered herb for topical application.
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1.Introduction of Wu Jia Pi: Slenderstyle Acanthopanax Bark
✵This article documents the herb Slenderstyle Acanthopanax Bark, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely, Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith—and provides a detailed introduction to the plant’s botanical features, growth characteristics, ecological environment, herbal characteristics, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Wǔ Jiā Pí
Botanical Description: Acanthopanax gracilistylus W. W. Smith is a shrub—sometimes creeping—that belongs to the Araliaceae family and the genus Eleutherococcus. It is commonly known as Slender Acanthopanax, Xi Zhu Wǔ Jiā, or Acanthopanax gracilistylus; the herb is derived from its root bark and is commercially named Slenderstyle Acanthopanax Root Bark. Plants reach 2–3 m in height; branches are taupe-brown, typically unarmed (spineless), though single flat spines may occur at petiole bases. Leaves are palmately compound and alternate on long branches, fascicled on short shoots; petioles measure 3–8 cm and often bear fine spines. Leaflets number five (rarely three or four); the central leaflet is largest, obovate to oblanceolate, 3–8 cm long and 1–3.5 cm wide, with an acute or shortly acuminate apex and cuneate base. Both surfaces are glabrous or sparsely bristly along veins; pale brown tufts occur in axils on the abaxial surface; margins are serrulate.
Drupes are berry-like, oblate, 5–6 mm in diameter, turning black at maturity; persistent styles are recurved. Each fruit contains two small, ovoid, pale brown (hazel-colored) seeds. Flowering occurs from April to July; fruiting, from July to October.
Characteristics of the Herb: The root bark occurs as irregular single or double scrolls, or as lumps and fragments, 4–15 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm in diameter, and 1–4 mm thick. The outer surface is taupe-brown or dust-colored, bearing irregular fissures, slightly twisted longitudinal wrinkles, and elongated lenticels; the inner surface is light yellow or sallow (grayish-yellow), with fine longitudinal striations. The material is lightweight and brittle; fracture surfaces are irregular, ash-gray (grayish-white) or sallow (grayish-yellow). The herb has a faint aromatic odor and a slightly pungent and bitter taste.
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