Yunxi Kudzu Root

Yunxi Kudzu Root

　　Kudzu root comes from the plant Pueraria lobata, a perennial member of the legume family Fabaceae. The root has historically served as a famine relief food and is also a commonly used traditional Chinese medicinal herb. The entire plant is covered in yellowish-brown long, stiff hairs. It features alternate trifoliate leaves, with stipules that are shield-shaped and attached to the leaf stems; these stipules are oval-elliptical in shape. The central leaflet is diamond- or broadly ovate-shaped, while the lateral leaflets are oblique-elliptical, with both sides covered in rough hairs, which are denser on the underside; the stipules are shield-like, and the small stipules are needle-shaped. The inflorescence is a raceme that grows in the leaf axils, with densely clustered flowers; the bracts are oval or lanceolate; the calyx is bell-shaped with five sepals, the upper two of which are fused, while the lower one is longer, and both the inner and outer surfaces are covered with yellowish soft hairs; the corolla is butterfly-shaped, bluish-purple, and about 1.5 cm in length. The pod is linear, 5 to 10 cm long, flat, and densely covered in yellowish-brown long, stiff hairs. The flowering period is from May to September, and the fruiting period is from August to October. It grows in mountain slopes, grasslands, roadside areas, and the shadier, more humid parts of sparse woods.

Kudzu root contains isoflavones, puerarin, alkaloids, and other compounds. It can increase blood flow to the brain and coronary vessels, lower blood sugar, reduce fever, and is also rich in iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and a variety of amino acids. It is the only food-medicine dual-use substance officially recognized by China's Ministry of Health. Yunxi has extensive wild kudzu root cultivation, yielding up to 1,000 tons of kudzu powder.