✵The article records the herb Atractylodes Rhizome—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. and (2) Atractylodes chinensis (Bunge) DC., a detailed description of the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species, as well as the characteristics of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Rhizoma Atractylodis (Atractylodes Rhizome)
Pinyin Name: Cānɡ Zhú
English Name: Atractylodes Rhizome
Latin Name:Rhizoma Atractylodis Properties and Flavor: Warm; pungent, bitter.
Brief Introduction:Rhizoma Atractylodis is the dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. or Atractylodes chinensis (Bunge) DC. It is used (1) to eliminate dampness and invigorate the spleen—indicated for damp accumulation in the spleen and stomach; (2) to dispel wind-damp—indicated for rheumatic arthralgia; and (3) to improve vision—indicated for night blindness. The herb is commonly known as Swordlike Atractylodes Rhizome, Chinese Atractylodes Rhizome, Simplicifolious Atractylodes Rhizome, Shēng Zhú, or Cāng Zhú.
Botanical Source:Rhizoma Atractylodis (Atractylodes Rhizome) is the dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. or Atractylodes chinensis (Bunge) DC., both belonging to the genus Atractylodes, family Asteraceae (Compositae, aster or daisy family), order Asterales. The two commonly used species are described below:
(1) Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC.
Botanical Description:Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. is a perennial herb of the Asteraceae family and genus Atractylodes. Synonyms include Atractylis lancea Thunb. and Atractylodes ovata (Thunb.) DC. It is commonly known as Máo Cāng Zhú, Nán Cāng Zhú, or Southern Cāng Zhú. The rhizome is decumbent and nodular. Stems bear numerous longitudinal ridges, are 30–100 cm tall, and are unbranched or slightly branched in the upper portion. Leaves are alternate and coriaceous; leaf blades are ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, 3–8 cm long and 1–3 cm wide; apex is acute to acuminate, base is attenuate; middle lobes are larger and oval; margin is spiny-serrate or doubly spiny-toothed (duplicident spiny-toothed); upper surface is dark green and glossy; lower surface is pale green; veins are prominent on the underside; leaves are sessile, undivided, or lower leaves are often 3-lobed; lobe apices are acute; terminal lobe is largest and oval; lateral lobes are smaller; base is cuneate; sessile or short-petiolate.
Capitula (flower heads) arise terminally on stems and branches. Involucral bracts are leafy, arranged in a single row, pinnately divided, with spinous (acanthous) pinnae. The general involucre is cylindrical; phyllaries are arranged in 5–8 layers and are oval to lanceolate, bearing cilia. Flowers are numerous; plants are dioecious, bearing either hermaphroditic or unisexual (typically female) flowers. Corollas are tubular, white or slightly reddish, ~1 cm long, slightly swollen apically, and 5-lobed; lobes are linear. Hermaphroditic flowers possess pinnately divided pappi; female flowers have five linear staminodes with slightly incurved apices.
Achenes are obovate and densely covered with yellowish-white pubescence. Flowering occurs from August to October; fruiting from September to December.
Ecological Environment: This species grows in shrublands and grasslands on hillsides or mountain slopes.
Growth Characteristics:Atractylodes lancea prefers a cool climate, is drought-tolerant, and intolerant of waterlogging. Optimal growth temperature ranges from 15–22 °C (59–71.6 °F); seedlings can withstand temperatures as low as −15 °C (5 °F). For cultivation, fields with partial shade and sun exposure, deep, loose, fertile, humus-rich sandy loam soil, and good drainage are recommended.
Characteristics of the Herb: The rhizome is irregularly nodular or slightly beaded and cylindrical; some are curved and usually unbranched, 3–10 cm long and 1–2 cm in diameter. The surface is yellowish-brown to grayish-brown, with fine longitudinal grooves, wrinkles, and a few residual fibrous roots. Constricted, shallow, horizontal, concave grooves occur at the nodes; round stem scars appear between nodes; one end typically bears a residual stem base, occasionally with additional stem scars; white flocculent crystals may precipitate on the surface. The herb is firm and solid in texture, brittle and easy to break; the fracture surface is slightly uneven, off-white to yellowish-white, scattered with numerous orange-yellow or reddish-brown oil chambers (commonly termed “cinnabar spots”), which may exude fine, needle-like white crystals upon prolonged exposure to air. The fracture surface shows no blue fluorescence under ultraviolet light (254 nm). The herb has a strong aromatic odor and tastes slightly sweet, bitter, and pungent.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Protection against experimental gastric ulcers and gastritis; (2) Hepatoprotective effects; (3) Hypoglycemic activity; (4) Inhibitory effects on esophageal carcinoma cells in vitro; (5) Significant promotion of urinary sodium and potassium excretion.
Medicinal Efficacy: Drying dampness and strengthening the spleen; dispelling wind and cold; dispelling wind-dampness; resolving depression; eliminating turbidity; improving vision. It is indicated for abdominal distension and fullness; damp accumulation impairing the spleen; damp accumulation affecting both spleen and stomach; wind-cold-damp bi syndrome (characterized by heaviness, numbness, and pain due to wind-cold-damp obstruction); lassitude and preference for lying down; anorexia; nausea and vomiting; diarrhea; dysentery; malaria; phlegm-damp retention; edema; exterior patterns accompanied by dampness; headache and body aches with heaviness; beriberi; flaccid paralysis; rheumatic pain; wind-cold invasion; seasonal cold pathogens; limb soreness and aching; foot weakness; and night blindness.
Administration of Rhizoma Atractylodis (Cānɡ Shù):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Rhizoma Atractylodis (Cānɡ Shù)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 3–9 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 1.5–3 qián (≈4.5–9 grams); also prepared as pastes, pills, or powders. (3) Internally: water decoction, 3–9 grams; also prepared as pills or powders.
Precautions and Adverse Reactions: Rhizoma Atractylodis should not be combined with peach (peach kernel), almond, finmeat, bok choy seedlings (pakchoi seedling), or black carp.
(2) Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. var. chinensis (Bunge) Kitam.
Botanical Description:Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. var. chinensis (Bunge) Kitam. is a perennial herb of the Asteraceae family (Compositae, aster or daisy family) and genus Atractylodes. Synonyms include Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz. and Atractylodes chinensis (Bunge) DC. It is commonly known as Běi Cāng Zhú, Northern Cāng Zhú Huá Cāng Zhú, or Shān Cāng Zhú (Mountain Cāng Zhú). Plants grow up to 30–50 cm tall. The rhizome is hypertrophied and nodular. Stems are solitary or slightly branched in the upper portion. Leaves are sessile and alternate; basal and lower cauline leaves are spatulate and mostly 3–5 times deeply pinnately incised, with a blunt apex and a cuneate, slightly amplexicaul (stem-clasping) base; upper cauline leaves are ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, 3–5-pinnatilobate to undivided, with margins bearing stiff, spinous teeth.
Capitula (flower heads) are ~1 cm in diameter; the outermost (basal) phyllaries are lanceolate with long pectinate margins; phyllaries are arranged in 5–6 layers; corollas are tubular and white, apically 5-lobed, with ovate-oblong lobes; the apices of the staminodes are rounded and non-curved.
Achenes are elongated and densely covered with upward-directed, silvery-white pubescence. Flowering occurs from July to August; fruiting from August to October.
Key distinguishing features compared with Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC.: leaf blades are broader—oval to long-ovoid—and typically pinnately 5-parted; upper cauline leaves are 3–5-pinnatilobate or undivided, with irregularly thorny-serrate margins and usually sessile attachment; capitula are slightly broader; phyllaries grow in 5–6 layers and are somewhat wider than those of A. lancea; staminode apices are rounded—not curled.
Ecological Environment:Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. var. chinensis (Bunge) Kitam. grows in shady shrublands of low mountains, forests, and relatively dry habitats—such as dry slopes, sparse broad-leaved forests, coniferous–broad-leaved mixed forests, rocky hillside areas, and hillside grasslands—at altitudes of 300–900 m.
Growth Characteristics: The plant prefers a cool climate with a large diurnal temperature range and ample sunlight. It has no strict soil requirements and can grow on barren hillsides and slopes, even in poor soils; however, it thrives best in well-drained, sandy loam soils with low groundwater levels, loose texture, and high humus content—while being intolerant of waterlogging.
Characteristics of the Herb: Rhizomes are mostly irregularly lumpy; some are nodular-cylindrical and often curved, with short branches. They measure 4–10 cm in length and 0.7–4 cm in diameter. The surface is dark brown; the underlying tissue appears yellowish-brown after removal of the outer periderm. The herb is light and loosely textured; the fracture surface is fibrous and displays scattered yellowish-brown oil chambers, with no crystalline deposits after drying. The aroma is faint, and the taste is bitter and pungent.
✵The article records the herb Atractylodes Rhizome—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. and (2) Atractylodes chinensis (Bunge) DC., a detailed description of the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species, as well as the characteristics of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Cānɡ Zhú
Botanical Description: Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. is a perennial herb of the Asteraceae family and genus Atractylodes. Synonyms include Atractylis lancea Thunb. and Atractylodes ovata (Thunb.) DC. It is commonly known as Máo Cāng Zhú, Nán Cāng Zhú, or Southern Cāng Zhú. The rhizome is decumbent and nodular. Stems bear numerous longitudinal ridges, are 30–100 cm tall, and are unbranched or slightly branched in the upper portion. Leaves are alternate and coriaceous; leaf blades are ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, 3–8 cm long and 1–3 cm wide; apex is acute to acuminate, base is attenuate; middle lobes are larger and oval; margin is spiny-serrate or doubly spiny-toothed (duplicident spiny-toothed); upper surface is dark green and glossy; lower surface is pale green; veins are prominent on the underside; leaves are sessile, undivided, or lower leaves are often 3-lobed; lobe apices are acute; terminal lobe is largest and oval; lateral lobes are smaller; base is cuneate; sessile or short-petiolate.
Ecological Environment: This species grows in shrublands and grasslands on hillsides or mountain slopes.
Characteristics of the Herb: The rhizome is irregularly nodular or slightly beaded and cylindrical; some are curved and usually unbranched, 3–10 cm long and 1–2 cm in diameter. The surface is yellowish-brown to grayish-brown, with fine longitudinal grooves, wrinkles, and a few residual fibrous roots. Constricted, shallow, horizontal, concave grooves occur at the nodes; round stem scars appear between nodes; one end typically bears a residual stem base, occasionally with additional stem scars; white flocculent crystals may precipitate on the surface. The herb is firm and solid in texture, brittle and easy to break; the fracture surface is slightly uneven, off-white to yellowish-white, scattered with numerous orange-yellow or reddish-brown oil chambers (commonly termed “cinnabar spots”), which may exude fine, needle-like white crystals upon prolonged exposure to air. The fracture surface shows no blue fluorescence under ultraviolet light (254 nm). The herb has a strong aromatic odor and tastes slightly sweet, bitter, and pungent.
Botanical Description: Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC. var. chinensis (Bunge) Kitam. is a perennial herb of the Asteraceae family (Compositae, aster or daisy family) and genus Atractylodes. Synonyms include Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz. and Atractylodes chinensis (Bunge) DC. It is commonly known as Běi Cāng Zhú, Northern Cāng Zhú Huá Cāng Zhú, or Shān Cāng Zhú (Mountain Cāng Zhú). Plants grow up to 30–50 cm tall. The rhizome is hypertrophied and nodular. Stems are solitary or slightly branched in the upper portion. Leaves are sessile and alternate; basal and lower cauline leaves are spatulate and mostly 3–5 times deeply pinnately incised, with a blunt apex and a cuneate, slightly amplexicaul (stem-clasping) base; upper cauline leaves are ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, 3–5-pinnatilobate to undivided, with margins bearing stiff, spinous teeth.
Key distinguishing features compared with Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC.: leaf blades are broader—oval to long-ovoid—and typically pinnately 5-parted; upper cauline leaves are 3–5-pinnatilobate or undivided, with irregularly thorny-serrate margins and usually sessile attachment; capitula are slightly broader; phyllaries grow in 5–6 layers and are somewhat wider than those of A. lancea; staminode apices are rounded—not curled.
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