Introduction of Chuan Xiong: Szechwan Lovage Rhizome
✵The article records the herb Szechwan Lovage Rhizome—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—a single plant species, Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this species, as well as the macroscopic and microscopic features of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Rhizome Chuanxiong (Szechwan Lovage Rhizome)
Pinyin Name: Chuān Xiōnɡ
English Name: Szechwan Lovage Rhizome
Latin Name:Rhizome Chuanxiong Properties and Flavor: Warm; pungent
Brief Introduction:Rhizoma Chuanxiong is the dried rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. It is used (1) to activate blood circulation and promote the flow of Qi—for the treatment of irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and coronary heart disease—and (2) to dispel wind and alleviate pain—for relieving headache and rheumatoid arthritis. The herb is commonly known as Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Szechwan Lovage Rhizome, or Chuān Xiōng.
Botanical Source: Classical herbal works—including major monographs such as Bencao Gangmu—define Rhizoma Chuanxiong (Chuan Xiong) as the dried rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., a member of the Apiaceae family (Umbelliferae, parsley family), genus Ligusticum L., order Apiales. This widely used species is described below:
(1) Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.
Botanical Description:Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. is a perennial herb of the Apiaceae family (Umbelliferae, parsley family) and genus Ligusticum. It is also known as L. wallichii auct. non Franch. and is commonly referred to as Chuan Xiong or Ligusticum wallichii Franch. Plants grow 40–70 cm tall and emit a strong aromatic odor. Rhizomes are well-developed, forming irregular, nodular, fist-shaped masses with numerous fibrous roots. Stems are erect, cylindrical, hollow, and longitudinally grooved; lower stem nodes are disc-shaped (plate-like), whereas those above the middle portion remain unenlarged. Basal cauline leaves are petiolate, with petioles 3–10 cm long and sheath-forming bases; leaf blades are ovate-triangular (12–15 cm long × 10–15 cm wide), 3–4-pinnatisect; pinnae occur in 4–5 pairs, ovate-lanceolate (6–7 cm × 5–6 cm); terminal lobes are linear-lanceolate to ovate-oblong (2–5 mm × 1–2 mm), with mucronate tips and sparse pubescence along the veins. Upper stem leaves become progressively simplified.
Compound umbels are terminal or axillary; involucral bracts (phyllaries) number 3–6, linear, 0.5–2.5 cm long; rays number 7–20 (or up to 24), unequal in length (2–4 cm); each umbellet bears 10–24 flowers; bracteoles number 2–7, linear, slightly purplish, pubescent, 3–5 mm long; calyx teeth are rudimentary (sterile); petals are white, obovate to elliptic, with mucronate apices and recurved margins; stamens number 5, anthers are pea-green (viridescent); styles number 2, 2–3 mm long, retroflexed downward.
Fruits are oblate or flattened, 2–3 mm long and ~1 mm wide; vittae (oil ducts) number 2–3 in each lateral ridge groove and 6–8 on the commissure. Flowering occurs from July to August; fruiting, from September to October.
Ecological Environment:Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. is primarily cultivated and rarely found in the wild.
Growth Characteristics:Ligusticum chuanxiong prefers warm, humid, and sunny conditions; it is moderately drought-tolerant but sensitive to shade and waterlogging. Cultivation is best carried out in deep, loose, fertile, well-drained, neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam soils. Avoid cold, excessively sandy soils; heavy clay (e.g., yellow mud), white eel mud, waterlogged fields, and continuous cropping.
Characteristics of the Herb: The rhizome is an irregular, nodular, fist-shaped mass, 1.5–7 cm in diameter. The surface is tawny (yellowish-brown) to brown, coarse and rough, shriveled, with numerous parallel, protuberant, ring-like nodes; circular to slightly concave, pit-like stem scars are present on the apex, and numerous minute, nodular root scars occur on the lower surface and along the nodes. The texture is solid and firm, not easily broken; the fracture surface is yellowish-white or sallow (grayish-yellow), exhibiting undulating, ring-shaped cambial zones (“fringe-pattern” cambium rings), with scattered yellowish-brown oil spots or oil cavities throughout the rhizome. The herb possesses a strong, characteristic aroma; the taste is bitter and pungent, with a slight sweetness lingering aftertaste and mild tongue-numbing sensation.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) dilation of coronary arteries and improvement of microcirculation; (2) inhibition of platelet aggregation; (3) prophylactic effect against ischemic cerebrovascular disease.
Medicinal efficacy: Activates blood circulation and promotes the flow of Qi; resolves blood stasis; regulates Qi movement and alleviates stagnation; dispels wind and eliminates dampness; relieves pain by expelling wind. It is indicated for headache and dizziness due to wind-cold invasion; chest bi syndrome (thoracic obstruction) and cardialgia; hypochondriac and abdominal pain; stabbing pain in the chest or hypochondrium; swelling and pain from traumatic injury; rheumatic arthralgia; cold-damp arthralgia and muscular spasm; irregular menstruation; amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea; dystocia (difficult labor); abdominal masses and associated pain; swellings and ulcers; and traumatic injuries.
Administration of Rhizoma Chuanxiong (Chuān Xiōng):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Rhizoma Chuanxiong (Chuān Xiōng)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 3–10 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 1–2 qián (≈3–6 grams); or prepared as pills or powder. External use: apply an appropriate amount of finely ground herb powder topically; (3) Internally: water decoction, 3–10 grams; powdered herb, 1–1.5 grams per dose; or formulated into pills or powder. External use: apply an appropriate amount of finely ground herb powder topically; or use decoction as a mouthwash.
Contraindications, Precautions, and Adverse Reactions: Rhizoma Chuanxiong should not be combined with Rhizoma Coptidis, Fructus Corni, Radix Euphorbiae Lathyris, saltpeter (potassium nitrate), talcum powder, or Veratrum nigrum (Black False Hellebore).
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1.Introduction of Chuan Xiong: Szechwan Lovage Rhizome
✵The article records the herb Szechwan Lovage Rhizome—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—a single plant species, Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this species, as well as the macroscopic and microscopic features of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Chuān Xiōnɡ
Botanical Description: Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. is a perennial herb of the Apiaceae family (Umbelliferae, parsley family) and genus Ligusticum. It is also known as L. wallichii auct. non Franch. and is commonly referred to as Chuan Xiong or Ligusticum wallichii Franch. Plants grow 40–70 cm tall and emit a strong aromatic odor. Rhizomes are well-developed, forming irregular, nodular, fist-shaped masses with numerous fibrous roots. Stems are erect, cylindrical, hollow, and longitudinally grooved; lower stem nodes are disc-shaped (plate-like), whereas those above the middle portion remain unenlarged. Basal cauline leaves are petiolate, with petioles 3–10 cm long and sheath-forming bases; leaf blades are ovate-triangular (12–15 cm long × 10–15 cm wide), 3–4-pinnatisect; pinnae occur in 4–5 pairs, ovate-lanceolate (6–7 cm × 5–6 cm); terminal lobes are linear-lanceolate to ovate-oblong (2–5 mm × 1–2 mm), with mucronate tips and sparse pubescence along the veins. Upper stem leaves become progressively simplified.
Compound umbels are terminal or axillary; involucral bracts (phyllaries) number 3–6, linear, 0.5–2.5 cm long; rays number 7–20 (or up to 24), unequal in length (2–4 cm); each umbellet bears 10–24 flowers; bracteoles number 2–7, linear, slightly purplish, pubescent, 3–5 mm long; calyx teeth are rudimentary (sterile); petals are white, obovate to elliptic, with mucronate apices and recurved margins; stamens number 5, anthers are pea-green (viridescent); styles number 2, 2–3 mm long, retroflexed downward.
Fruits are oblate or flattened, 2–3 mm long and ~1 mm wide; vittae (oil ducts) number 2–3 in each lateral ridge groove and 6–8 on the commissure. Flowering occurs from July to August; fruiting, from September to October.
Ecological Environment: Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. is primarily cultivated and rarely found in the wild.
Characteristics of the Herb: The rhizome is an irregular, nodular, fist-shaped mass, 1.5–7 cm in diameter. The surface is tawny (yellowish-brown) to brown, coarse and rough, shriveled, with numerous parallel, protuberant, ring-like nodes; circular to slightly concave, pit-like stem scars are present on the apex, and numerous minute, nodular root scars occur on the lower surface and along the nodes. The texture is solid and firm, not easily broken; the fracture surface is yellowish-white or sallow (grayish-yellow), exhibiting undulating, ring-shaped cambial zones (“fringe-pattern” cambium rings), with scattered yellowish-brown oil spots or oil cavities throughout the rhizome. The herb possesses a strong, characteristic aroma; the taste is bitter and pungent, with a slight sweetness lingering aftertaste and mild tongue-numbing sensation.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) dilation of coronary arteries and improvement of microcirculation; (2) inhibition of platelet aggregation; (3) prophylactic effect against ischemic cerebrovascular disease.
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