What kind of plant is Poria cocos?

Earth Ling, also known as white surplus grain, Polyporus umbellatus, cross mountain dragon, cold rice, etc., is the dry rhizome of Liliaceae plant Smilax china, which is mostly born on hillsides or under forests. Distributed in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and other places, the medicinal part only selects its dried rhizome, which has the effect of detoxification, dehumidification and joint benefit.

Poria cocos is a climbing shrub with a length of 1mm and 4mm. The stem is smooth and unarmed. Rhizome thick, massive, often connected by stolons, 2-5 cm thick. Leaves alternate, petiole 5-15 mm long, accounting for about 3 times 5-15 mm long, with narrow sheath, often with 2 slender tendrils, and falling off near the top. Leaf blade thinly leathery, narrowly elliptic-lanceolate to narrowly ovate-lanceolate, 6-12 cm long and 1-4 cm wide, apex acuminate, base rounded or obtuse, usually light green below.

The umbels of Poria cocos are solitary in leaf axils, usually with more than 10 flowers. The total pedicel of male inflorescences is 2-5 mm long, usually significantly shorter than petiole, rarely as long as petiole, and there is a bud between pedicel and petiole. The total pedicel of female inflorescence is about 1 cm, and the shape of female flower is similar to that of male flower, but the margin of inner tepals is toothless and has 3 staminodes. Berries 6-8 mm in diam., black when ripe, powdery. The florescence is from May to November and the fruit period is from November to April of the following year.

The dried rhizome of Poria cocos is irregular block, slightly flat cylindrical and curved not straight, more divergent, with nodular protuberance, about 5-15 cm long and 2-5 cm in diameter. The surface soil is brown or brown, rough, often with knife cuts and lateral root remnants, with stem scars at the upper end. The quality is hard, not easy to break, the section is rough, powdery, light brown. The breath is slight and the taste is light.

Poria cocos are long slices of different sizes, about 1mm to 3mm thick, irregular edges, light brown or yellowish, smooth or slightly rough surface. There are slightly vascular bundles in the middle, gravel-like light can be seen when carefully observed, and longitudinal sections are common patterns. The catheter is irregular, powdery and slightly elastic. after wetting with water, the hands feel smooth. It is better to have light brown, powdery feet and less fiber.