Wuzhishan Ginseng is a perennial shrubby herbaceous plant, 0.3-1 meter tall. Its roots are fleshy and radish-shaped, also known as arrowleaf hibiscus, copper skin, etc. The roots are used in medicine to treat stomach pain, neurasthenia, and can be used externally to eliminate stasis, reduce swelling, and promote bone healing.
Morphological Characteristics of Wuzhishan Ginseng
Wuzhishan Ginseng is a perennial herbaceous plant, 40-100 cm tall, with radish-shaped fleshy roots and rough hairy branches.
The leaves have various forms, with the lower leaves being ovate, and the upper leaves being ovate-lanceolate, arrow-shaped, or palmate with 3-5 shallow or deep lobes. The lobes are broadly ovate to broadly lanceolate, 3-10 cm long, blunt at the apex, and heart-shaped or lanceolate at the base. The edges have serrations or notches, and the upper surface is sparsely covered with prickly hairs, while the lower surface is covered with long coarse hairs.
The petioles are 4-8 cm long and sparsely covered with long coarse hairs. The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, with slender peduncles, 4-7 cm long, and densely covered with rough hairs.
The bracts are 6-12, linear, 1-1.7 mm wide, and about 1.5 cm long, sparsely covered with long coarse hairs. The calyx is tubular, about 7 mm long, with 5 teeth at the apex, and densely covered with fine hairs. The flowers are red or yellow, 4-5 cm in diameter, with obovate-oblong petals 3-4 cm long. The stamens are about 2 cm long, smooth and hairless, and the stigma has 5 branches with a flattened top.
The capsules are ellipsoid, about 3 cm long and about 2 cm in diameter, covered with prickly hairs and with short beaks. The seeds are kidney-shaped with glandular stripes. The flowering period is from May to September.
This species has a wide variation in leaf shape, ranging from ovate to palmately lobed, and even lanceolate, all on the same plant. The number of bracts is also variable, with 6, 8, or even 12 bracts.
Main Values of Wuzhishan Ginseng
Wuzhishan Ginseng is used medicinally for treating stomach pain, neurasthenia, and it can also be used externally to eliminate stasis, reduce swelling, and promote bone healing. In northern Vietnam, the roots are used as an antidiarrheal and tonic.
Effects: Nourishing and strengthening.
Taste and Meridian Tropism: Sweet, slightly warm. Enters the kidney and stomach meridians.
Harvesting and Storage: Dig the roots in winter, wash them, slice them, and dry them.
Taste: Sweet, slightly warm.
Functions and Indications: Nourishing and strengthening. Treats neurasthenia, dizziness, lumbago, stomach pain, and diarrhea.
Dosage: Internal use: Decoction, 9-15 grams.
Cultivation Techniques of Wuzhishan Ginseng
1. Soil Preparation and Sowing
Dig the soil, rake it flat, apply a small amount of well-rotted farmyard manure as base fertilizer, level it, and then sow the seeds.
Sowing from May to July results in faster growth, while from December to March of the following year, growth is slower. After sowing, sprinkle a thin layer of farmyard manure and fine soil, but watering in the morning and evening is necessary. This herb prefers moisture and is afraid of drought. It will sprout and grow a few days after the weather gets hot, so it is necessary to remove weeds.
This herb is less prone to diseases and pests, but the tender leaves are sweet and favored by snails and fleas. They can be caught with a flashlight at night or sprayed with pesticides.
2. Transplanting and Care
When the seedlings have 2-3 true leaves and a height of 5 cm, they can be transplanted. The flower pots can be 21-24 cm in diameter and 25-30 cm in height.
If black loose soil from a rocky mountain can be found, it is best. Sandy soil can also be used, but some farmyard manure should be added and mixed well.
If planting on a large scale, rows should be made with a row height of 20 cm and a row spacing of 80-100 cm. The spacing between plants should be 25-30 cm. When the plants are 20 cm tall, a small amount of compound fertilizer or diluted manure water can be applied.
When transplanting, use small bamboo pieces to dig and keep some soil on the seedlings. After planting, water the roots in a timely manner to ensure their survival rate.
3. Seed Collection
Wuzhishan Ginseng plants generally flower from May to November. The flowers are red, with five petals, extremely beautiful and fragrant, and they are single in the leaf axils.
The fruits are elongated, 2.5-4 cm long, with five ridges. When the fruits turn yellow and the stems turn black, they can be cut off. Mature fruits should be cut one by one and dried together with the fruit skin, without tearing it open for better preservation.
When planting, tear open the fruit skin, exposing the seeds. The seeds are black, with 20-40 seeds in each fruit. Each plant can produce more than 1000 seeds in a year.
4. Harvesting and Processing
The medicinal roots and rhizomes are harvested in winter, washed, sliced, and dried.
