✵This article documents the herb Platycodon Root, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical source—namely one plant species, (1) Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC.—with a detailed description of the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this species, as well as the morphological characteristics of the herb Platycodon Root, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Radix Platycoli (Platycodon Root)
Pinyin Name: Jié Gěnɡ
English Name: Platycodon Root
Latin Name:Radix Platycoli Properties and Flavor: Neutral; pungent and bitter
Brief Introduction:Radix Platycodi is the dried root of Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC., used to resolve phlegm, soothe the throat, and drain pus—indicated for cough with copious phlegm, lung abscess with purulent sputum, sore and swollen throat, and hoarseness. It is commonly known as Radix Platycodi, Platycodon Root, or Jié Gěnɡ.
Botanical Source:Radix Platycodi (Platycodon Root) is the dried root of Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC., a species of the genus Platycodon, family Campanulaceae (bellflower family), order Asterales. This commonly used species is described below:
(1) Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC.
Botanical Description:Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC. is a perennial herb of the family Campanulaceae (bellflower family); order Campanulales. It is also known as Campanula grandiflora Jacq. and Líng Dāng Huā ("small bell flower"). The plant grows 30–120 cm tall. The whole plant exudes white latex (milky sap). The taproot is long and fusiform (spindle-shaped), with few lateral roots. Stems are glabrous, usually unbranched, or slightly branched in the upper part. Leaves occur in 3–4 whorls, or are opposite or alternate; they are sessile or bear a very short petiole; leaf blades are ovate to lanceolate, 2–7 cm long and 0.5–3 cm wide; apex is acute, base is cuneate, margin is sharply serrated, abaxial surface is covered with a whitish bloom (farina).
Flowers are solitary at the stem apex or arranged in loose racemes; calyx is campanulate (bell-shaped), 5-lobed; corolla is broadly campanulate, 4–6 cm in diameter, blue or bluish-violet (royal purple), 5-lobed, lobes triangular; 5 stamens, filaments with enlarged bases are densely covered with fine hairs; ovary is inferior, style is 5-lobed.
Capsule is obovate, dehiscing by 5 valves at maturity. Seeds are numerous, brown. Flowering period: July–September; fruiting period: August–October.
Ecological Environment:Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC. grows wild on grassy slopes of hillsides or at forest margins; it is also cultivated.
Growth Characteristics: The plant prefers a cool climate, is cold-tolerant, and requires ample sunlight. Cultivation is optimal in hilly areas below 1,100 m above sea level. It thrives in sandy loam soil under partial shade and partial sun, and in neutral, phosphorus- and potassium-rich sandy soils. Seed viability lasts approximately one year; low-temperature storage extends seed longevity.
Characteristics of the Herb: The root is cylindrical or slightly fusiform, tapering toward the lower end; some specimens are branched. Length: 6–20 cm; diameter: 1–2 cm. Surface is light yellowish-white, slightly lustrous and wrinkled, bearing longitudinal twisted grooves, transverse lenticel scars, and rootlet marks; occasionally, unscraped brown or taupe-brown cork remains visible. Rhizome (reed head) is 0.5–4 cm long and ~1 cm in diameter, bearing semilunar stem scars arranged in disc-like patterns. Texture is hard and brittle (crisp), easily fractured; fracture surface is slightly uneven, with visible radial fissures. Cortex is whitish (nearly white), cambium ring is brown, xylem is yellowish (light yellow). Odor is slight; taste slightly sweet and bitter.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Expectorant effect; (2) Other effects: hypoglycemic activity; significant antidiabetic effect in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits.
Medicinal efficacy: Promotes lung qi dispersion, soothes the throat, resolves phlegm, and drains pus—indicated for cough with copious phlegm, chest tightness or discomfort, sore and swollen throat, bronchitis, pulmonary abscess, and pleurisy.
Administration of Radix Platycoli (Jié Gěnɡ):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Radix Platycoli (Jié Gěnɡ)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 3–9 grams; (2) 1–2 qián (≈ 3–6 grams); (3) 3–10 grams, as a water decoction; or as finely ground herb powder, prepared into pills or powders. Externally: Apply an appropriate amount—charred, ground into fine powder, and applied topically.
✵This article documents the herb Platycodon Root, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical source—namely one plant species, (1) Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC.—with a detailed description of the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this species, as well as the morphological characteristics of the herb Platycodon Root, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Jié Gěnɡ
Botanical Description: Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC. is a perennial herb of the family Campanulaceae (bellflower family); order Campanulales. It is also known as Campanula grandiflora Jacq. and Líng Dāng Huā ("small bell flower"). The plant grows 30–120 cm tall. The whole plant exudes white latex (milky sap). The taproot is long and fusiform (spindle-shaped), with few lateral roots. Stems are glabrous, usually unbranched, or slightly branched in the upper part. Leaves occur in 3–4 whorls, or are opposite or alternate; they are sessile or bear a very short petiole; leaf blades are ovate to lanceolate, 2–7 cm long and 0.5–3 cm wide; apex is acute, base is cuneate, margin is sharply serrated, abaxial surface is covered with a whitish bloom (farina).
Characteristics of the Herb: The root is cylindrical or slightly fusiform, tapering toward the lower end; some specimens are branched. Length: 6–20 cm; diameter: 1–2 cm. Surface is light yellowish-white, slightly lustrous and wrinkled, bearing longitudinal twisted grooves, transverse lenticel scars, and rootlet marks; occasionally, unscraped brown or taupe-brown cork remains visible. Rhizome (reed head) is 0.5–4 cm long and ~1 cm in diameter, bearing semilunar stem scars arranged in disc-like patterns. Texture is hard and brittle (crisp), easily fractured; fracture surface is slightly uneven, with visible radial fissures. Cortex is whitish (nearly white), cambium ring is brown, xylem is yellowish (light yellow). Odor is slight; taste slightly sweet and bitter.
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