Changbai Mountain Wild Ginger

Changbai Mountain Wild Ginger

　　A general term for plants of the genus Asarum in the family Aristolochiaceae.

　　 　 Perennial herbs with slender, aromatic rhizomes, each producing one or two leaves at the tip. The solitary flowers grow in leaf axils close to the ground, usually purple and bell-shaped. There are about 35 species in China, including well-known ones such as Asarum and Asarum heterotropoides. The entire plant is used in medicine, having a warm nature and pungent taste, with functions such as warming meridians, dispersing cold, resolving fluid retention, dispelling wind, and relieving pain. It is mainly used to treat conditions such as cold-induced headache, phlegm-fluid cough and wheezing, rheumatic arthralgia, toothache, and sinusitis.

　　 　 Other names: Little Ginger, Fine Grass, Lesser Ginger, Single-Leaf Herb, Golden Basin Herb, Mountain Ginseng

　　 　 Also known as Fine Ginseng or Pipe Flower, Asarum is a member of the Aristolochiaceae family and a perennial herb. It is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. Listed as a top-grade herb in the "Shennong Bencao Jing" (The Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica), it gets its name from its fine roots and pungent flavor.

　　 Produced in various counties in the eastern and semi-mountainous regions of Jilin. The province has an annual output of around 150,000 jin. The whole plant of Asarum contains 2.65% volatile oil. The main components of the volatile oil include methyl eugenol, safrole, myrtenyl acetate, camphor, and others.