Botanical characteristics and growth habits of Herba Asari

Asarum is a perennial medicinal plant belonging to Asarum of Malaria family. Wild species include Asarum (Aristolochiaceaehet-arotropoidesFr.) distributed in Northeast China and Asarum (A.sieboldiMiq.) distributed in Shaanxi Province. Asarum whole herb medicine has the function of soothing wind and dispelling cold, warming lungs and removing phlegm, opening orifices and dredging collaterals, and can treat wind-cold headache, rheumatism arthralgia, phlegm, cough and asthma, toothache and other diseases. Asarum whole herb has a special spicy fragrance, in addition to medicine, it is also a raw material for the spice industry and a good insect repellent.

Liao Asarum is a perennial herb, 2-3 leaves grow from the rhizome, petiole length 5-20cm, leaf blade cordate or round kidney-shaped, 4-10cm long, 6-13cm wide, entire, surface green, abaxially gray-green; underground rhizome, many slender roots; flowers solitary in leaf axils, with slender pedicels, shaped like tobacco bag pot, Corolla purple-brown, pot-shaped, apex trifid, lobes ovate, retrorse outward. The fruit is hemispherical with many seeds and the weight of 1000 seeds is 4.89g.

Growth habits of Asarum

Asarum is often born under mountains or bushes or in shady grass in the mountains, and likes to be born in well-drained, humus-rich and moist soil. Both seedlings and adult plants can survive the winter in the field. Asarum belongs to shallow root and negative plant, which emerges earlier than other crops in early spring. Artificial shading is needed for field cultivation in the growth stage. It can grow normally under the condition of "Hua Dayang" or "scattered light", but it grows slowly in high temperature season. If the temperature exceeds 35 ℃, the leaves turn yellow and wither, and they often return to the seedlings early. It blossoms in May and the seeds mature from June to July.