asparagus

Radix asparagiofficinalis

Commonasparagus root

[alias] xiaobaibu, shanwenzhu.

[source] it is the tuberous root of Asparagus officinalis L.

[plant morphology] perennial herb, smooth, glabrous, slightly powdery. The stem is long and soft. The branches are filiform, 3-6 in clusters, 5-30mm long, and the scaly leaves are yellowish. It is dioecious, with 6 mm long flowers, 1-4 axillary and about LCM long pedicel; the male perianth is 6, 5-6 mm long, with 6 stamens on the back; the female perianth is 3 mm long, with 6 staminodes. Berries globose, red. The flowering period is from July to August.

It is cultivated in different places. It is mainly produced in Guangxi.

[picking] dig the root tubers in spring and autumn, wash them, scald them in boiling water and dry them in the sun.

[character] there are several or dozens of tuberous roots in clusters, and some are scattered individually. It is a long cylindrical shape, 10-25cm in length, 4mm in diameter, yellowish white or yellowish, with irregular grooves. The texture is flexible and the section is light yellow and white.

[chemical constituents] it contains saponin, and its sapogenin is sarsasa pogenin. In addition, it contains coniferin, chelidonic acid, asparagine, aspartose and arginine.

[flavor] slightly warm, bitter and pungent.

[indications] moisten the lung and relieve cough, remove phlegm and kill insects. It is used for cough due to lung heat, killing chancre, external treatment of skin scabies and parasites.

Chinese PinYin : Shi Diao Bai