Southern Medicinal Herbs

Southern Medicinal Herbs

　　&nbps;&nbps;&nbps;&nbps;Jinghong’s vast mountainous terrain, fertile land, hot and humid climate, and mild winters create ideal natural conditions for the growth of medicinal plants. The saying “Take a tumble in the hills and you’ll land on three medicinal herbs” vividly illustrates the abundance of medicinal flora in Jinghong. Currently, the city cultivates 38,118 mu of southern medicinal herbs such as Amomum villosum and Amomum kravanh. (Jinghong)

　　 Southern medicinal herbs originally referred to medicinal materials produced in Southeast Asia and Africa. Due to its superior climatic conditions, Xishuangbanna supports the growth of variant and related species of southern medicinal herbs, harboring rich medicinal resources. It is home to dozens of medicinal plants such as Amomum xanthioides, benzoin, Rauvolfia yunnanensis, Homalomena occulta, Paederia scandens, Quisqualis indica, Paris polyphylla, and amber. Some of these medicinal plants may not be the same species as traditional southern herbs but have similar therapeutic effects, and are therefore also categorized as southern medicinal herbs. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, to address the severe shortage of southern medicinal herbs, Xishuangbanna, with support from the state and assistance from relevant scientific research institutions, leveraged its favorable natural conditions to develop the production of southern medicinal herbs. This effort enabled many introduced southern medicinal herbs to take root in Xishuangbanna. Among the state's three prefecture-level cities and counties, one city and one county have been designated as Yunnan Province's medicinal herb production bases. The total cultivated area of southern medicinal herbs in the prefecture has reached over 6,000 hectares, earning it a reputation as a notable homeland of southern medicinal herbs. 　　

　　 　　Amomum villosum is the primary southern medicinal herb produced in Xishuangbanna. The fruit of this perennial herbaceous plant from the ginger family and Amomum genus has effects such as regulating qi, invigorating the stomach, and aiding digestion. Traditional Chinese medicine uses it to treat stomach distension and pain, nausea and vomiting, enteritis, and dysentery. Locals chew it or soak it in alcohol to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Though suitable growing regions for this medicinal material are quite limited, Xishuangbanna’s ecological environment is highly conducive to its growth. According to surveys conducted by the medicinal herb authorities in the mid-1950s, there were 733 hectares of wild Amomum villosum in the prefecture, with over 340 hectares yielding produce and an annual output of more than 5,200 kilograms. Wild Amomum villosum from Xishuangbanna was tested and appraised for its plant and biological properties by the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, among others, confirming its superior quality. It has since been purchased by medicinal herb companies.　　

　　 　　Given Xishuangbanna’s suitable conditions for cultivating Amomum villosum, the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development and medicinal authorities began systematically introducing the highest-quality Amomum villosum (Amomum villosum Lour.) from the mid-1960s. After successful trial cultivation, it was widely promoted in Jinghong City and Mengla County. The prefecture’s Amomum villosum cultivation area has now exceeded 4,000 hectares, and its output accounts for 20% to 25% of the national total. The Amomum villosum introduced to Xishuangbanna has been appraised by national experts as being identical in performance and quality to that of its place of origin.

　　 　　Java Amomum compactum is a perennial herbaceous plant from the ginger family. Its fruits aid digestion and invigorate the stomach, and are mainly used to treat vomiting, stomach distension, and nausea. Successfully introduced in Xishuangbanna since the 1970s, each plant can produce about 15 offshoots annually, with a natural fruit-setting rate typically ranging from 20% to 40%, and up to 70%. Under natural conditions, it can yield 225 kilograms per hectare. The prefecture has widely planted over 200 hectares of Java Amomum compactum, with some plants already flowering and bearing fruit, producing approximately 3,000 kilograms at present. The current cultivation area leads the nation.　

　　 　　Rauvolfia, called “Ma San Duan” in the Dai language of Xishuangbanna, includes wild varieties. The roots of Rauvolfia have sedative, blood pressure-lowering, and blood-activating analgesic effects. They are used to treat conditions such as hypertension, vertigo, and insomnia, and serve as raw materials for extracting reserpine and other compounds. Though wild Rauvolfia exists in Xishuangbanna, its reserves are limited. Therefore, starting in the 1960s, the Institute of Medicinal Plant Development introduced over ten species of Rauvolfia—including Rauvolfia vomitoria, Rauvolfia verticillata, and Rauvolfia serpentina. Among the successfully introduced species, cultivated Rauvolfia vomitoria contains reserpine at levels as high as 0.1%, ranking first among domestic cultivation sites. It has been used to produce the antihypertensive drug “降压灵” (“Blood Pressure Reducer”), which was launched on the market and first exported to Albania.

　　 　　In addition, southern medicinal herbs produced in Xishuangbanna include catechu, areca nut, sandalwood, cinnamon, Alpinia oxyphylla, sappan wood, Sterculia lychnophora, Homalomena occulta, Abelmoschus manihot, cloves, aloe, Terminalia chebula, Piper longum, dragon’s blood, nux vomica, Hyoscyamus niger, and more. Beyond southern medicinal herbs, Xishuangbanna is also home to a wealth of ethnic medicines. According to surveys by the prefecture’s health authorities, there are 1,208 types of Dai medicinal herbs, over 300 of which have been collected and compiled into the Xishuangbanna Dai Medicine Chronicles. Eight of these have been included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and 24 are listed in the Yunnan Provincial Drug Standards. Plants such as Melicope pteleifolia, Maytenus hookeri, and Michelia champaca in the “kingdom of plants” all possess unique medicinal value. At various scenic spots, visitors can also find packaged kidney tea for treating kidney conditions and Gynostemma pentaphyllum—known as the “ginseng of the south”—available for purchase.