Ligusticum sinense
Oliver
Chinese lovage, Mountain coriander
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Wikimedia Commons - Fumikas Sagisavas
Summary
Source: WikipediaA hermaphroditic perennial growing to 1m tall with 60cm spread, hardy to UK zone 6. Insect-pollinated and self-fertile. Flowers from July to August with seed maturation September to October. Prefers light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay well-drained soils across mildly acidic to basic pH ranges. Requires full sun and prefers moist conditions.
Description
An erect herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It has an aroma. It grows 1-1.5 m high. It has a thick, short underground stem. This is 3-8 cm long and 1-2 cm wide. The stems have internodes 5-23 cm long. The leaves have 3 leaflets along the stalk. The leaves near the base are in rings. The leaves on the stem are alternate. They are triangle shaped and 8-15 cm long. There are a few teeth. The flowers are small and white. They are in compound groups in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches.
Edible Uses
None known.
Traditional Uses
The young plants before flowering are gathered and cooked as a vegetable. The roots are boiled in water.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
The root is anodyne, antibacterial, antifungal, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, diaphoretic, hypotensive, and sedative. It is taken internally to treat menstrual disorders, post-partum bleeding, coronary heart disease, poor circulation, and headaches. For gout, the root is soaked in alcohol for 2 weeks before use. Roots are harvested in autumn and dried for later use.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant. In China it is cultivated in Huang He between 500-2,700 m altitude. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Where It Grows
Asia, China,
Cultivation
Succeeds in any well-drained soil in a sunny position. Tolerates moister conditions than many other members of the genus. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c.
Propagation
Sow seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame in autumn. Stored seed should be sown as early in the year as possible in a greenhouse or cold frame. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, then plant out in summer if sufficiently developed; otherwise overwinter in a cold frame and plant out in early summer. Division in spring.
Other Uses
None known.
Notes
It is also used in medicine.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Chuanxiong, Gao ben, Shan yuan sui
References (5)
- Flora of China. www.eFloras.org
- Geng, Y., et al, 2016, Traditional knowledge and its transmission of wild edibles used by the Naxi in Baidi Village, northwest Yunnan province. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 12:10
- Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 599
- Kang, Y., et al, 2012, Wild food plants and wild edible fungi in two valleys on the Qinling Mountains (Shaanxi, central China) Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine; 9:26
- Lim, T. K., 2015, Edible Medicinal and Non Medicinal Plants. Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Springer p 52
