Lixian Angelica

Lixian Angelica

　　Angelica is a perennial herbaceous plant distributed across China in provinces such as Gansu, Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Hunan, Hubei, and Guizhou, and is cultivated in many of these regions. The roots of the angelica plant are used medicinally and are among the most commonly used traditional Chinese herbs.

　　The whole root is roughly cylindrical in shape, with 3 to 5 or more lateral roots at the lower part, each measuring 15 to 25 cm in length. The outer skin is fine and dense, with the surface being yellowish-brown to brownish, featuring longitudinal wrinkles and transverse elongated lenticels. The root head (the head of the root, or “dui tou”) has a diameter of 1.5 to 4 cm, shows ring patterns, has a rounded blunt top, and retains remnants of purple or yellowish-green stems and leaf sheaths. The main root (the body of the root, or “dui shen”) has an uneven surface. The lateral roots (the tail of the root, or “dui wei”) have a diameter of 0.3 to 1 cm, being thicker at the top and thinner at the bottom, often twisted, with a few rootlet scars. The texture is flexible and resilient. When cut, the interior is yellowish-white or light yellowish-brown, with a thick cortex that features fissures and numerous brown dot-like secretory cavities. The xylem is lighter in color, and the cambium ring is yellowish-brown. The xylem is relatively light-colored; the central part of the root or rhizome cross-section often contains pith and cavities. It tastes sweet and pungent, with a warm property. It enters the liver, heart, and spleen meridians. Those that are excessively dry, brittle, devoid of oil, or show a greenish-brown cross-section are not suitable for medicinal use.