Introduction of He Shou Wu - part 1

He Shou Wu, also known as Polygonum multiflora, Violet vine, night vine and so on. It is a perennial entwined vine of the Polygonum Polygonaceae Polygonum family, with thick roots, oblong, dark brown. It grows in valleys and shrubs, under hillside forests, and in stone crevices along ditch. Produced in southern Shaanxi, southern Gansu, East China, Central China, South China, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou. Its tuberous root is used as medicine, which can soothe the nerves, nourish the blood, activate the collaterals, detoxify, and eliminate carbuncle; making Shouwu can nourish the essence and blood, black hair, strengthen the muscles and bones, and invigorate the liver and kidney. It is a common precious and fine Chinese medicinal material.

Morphological characteristics of He Shou Wu

Polygonum multiflorum is a perennial plant. Roots are thick, oblong, dark brown. Stems winding, 2-4 m long, many branches, with longitudinal edges, glabrous, slightly rough, lignified below.

Leaves: ovate or long ovate, 3-7cm long, 2-5cm wide, acuminate at the top, heart-shaped or subcordate at the base, rough on both sides, margin entire; petiole 1.5-3cm long; stipule sheaths Quality, oblique, glabrous, 3-5 mm long.

Flowers: Inflorescence paniculate, terminal or axillary, 10-20 cm long, branched, with thin longitudinal edges, densely covered with small protrusions along the edges; bracts triangular-ovate, with small protrusions, apex pointed, within each bract With 2-4 flowers; pedicels slender, 2-3 mm long, articulated below, elongated in fruit; perianth 5, deeply parted, white or pale green, perianth oval, unequal in size, outer 3 larger Back winged, enlarged in fruit, perianth nearly round in shape, 6-7 mm in diameter; stamens 8, filaments wider at the lower part; styles 3, very short, stigma capitate.

Fruit: Achenes ovate, 3-sided, 2.5-3 mm long, dark brown, shiny, wrapped in persistent perianth. Flowering August-September, fruiting September-October.

Polygonum multiflorum growing environment

Grows in valleys and shrubs, under hillside forests, and in stone crevices along ditch, at an altitude of 200-3000 meters.

Distribution range of Polygonum multiflorum

Produced in southern Shaanxi, southern Gansu, East China, Central China, South China, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou. Also distributed in Japan.