(Zhiwei Zang)

Bupleurum chinense DC. is also known as Northern Bupleurum and Bupleurum chinense. It is a perennial herb in the family Umbelliferae. Produced in northeast, north China, Inner Mongolia, Henan and Shaanxi, Gansu and other provinces and regions, mostly wild. The root is used as medicine. The root contains saponins A, B, C, D, dahuricin, kaempferol, trace volatile oil and fat oil, oil containing cis and trans-linolenic acid, linolenic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, fagarol, fusaric alcohol, and other substances. According to pharmacological experiments, Chaihu decoction can antipyretic, antibacterial, anti-hepatic injury; Chaihu crude saponins have sedative, analgesic, hypothermic, antitussive, hypotensive and other effects. Bitter flavor, slightly cold nature. It has the functions of relieving the surface and the interior, elevating the yang, dredging the liver and relieving depression. It is used to treat colds, upper respiratory tract infections, cold and heat, dystonia, hepatitis, biliary tract infections, and menstrual disorders.

I. Morphological Characteristics

45-85cm high, main root cylindrical, branched or unbranched, hard. The stem is erect and cespitose, branched at the upper part, slightly curved in the shape of "zigzag". Leaves alternate, basal leaves oblanceolate, base tapering into a long stalk; stem leaves oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, sessile; leaves 5-12cm long, 0.5-1.5cm wide, apex acuminate in a short awn, entire, with 5-9 parallel veins, abaxially glaucous. Compound umbels axillary and terminal, pedicels 4-10, involucral bracts 1-2, often deciduous; involucral bracteoles 5-7, with 3 veins. Flowers small, bright yellow; calyx teeth inconspicuous; petals 5, apex inflexed; stamens 5, ovary ellipsoid, styles 2, stylopodium yellowish brown. Double pendant fruit broadly ellipsoid, flattened, 2.5-3 mm long, schizocarp with 5 conspicuous main ribs (Figs 14-139).

Figure 14-139 Morphology of Bupleurum chinense

1. root 2. flowering branch 3. flower enlargement 4. small involucral bracts 5. fruit 6. fruit cross-section

Two, biological characteristics

Bupleurum chinense is often wild in mountainous areas below 1500m above sea level, the barren slopes of the hills, grassy thickets, roadsides, forest edges and gaps in the forest. It is more adaptable, preferring a slightly cool and moist climate, more cold and drought-resistant, avoiding high temperatures and waterlogging.

The embryo of the freshly harvested seeds of Chaihu is immature and dormant, and needs to go through the process of after-ripening. According to Kawatani et al, the volume of the newly harvested seed embryo accounted for; 5.10% of the embryo cavity, five months later can grow to 16.69%. Layer storage of seeds in soil can accelerate the development of the embryo and promote after-ripening; layer for five months, the germination rate can reach 69.1%, the time needed for germination is only 15 days on average.Miyazahi et al. had stored the seeds in an airtight wooden box, sealed cans and dryers, and sand in the soil, after twelve months, most of the seeds were dead, except for those in the dryer, and germination was irregular. The germination of the seeds in the drier is also irregular. Therefore, the seeds should be sown in the following spring after harvesting, and should not be reused in the next year.

Yushiko Shimokawa et al. studied the effect of temperature on the growth of annual Shiba hu plants: the low temperature (day temperature 15℃/night temperature 10℃) and medium temperature (25℃/20℃) treatments drew the most stems, followed by the control (no temperature control), and the high temperature (35℃/30℃) treatments drew the fewest stems; the flowering and fruiting of the most was in the medium-temperature treatment, followed by the control, and the fewest was in the low and high temperature treatments; and root yield was in the order of high to low. The order of high to low yield was low temperature, medium temperature, control and high temperature; the total content of saponins of Bupleurum was not significantly different among the treatments. These results suggest that Chaihu should not be grown under longer-term high-temperature conditions and should be planted in a slightly cooler climate.

Yushiko Shimokawa et al. also compared one- and two-year roots, and the total saponin content of two-year roots was lower, only 1.19±0.16%, compared with 1.57±0.25% for one-year roots. However, the dry weight of the two-year root is more than three times that of the one-year root, and from the consideration of the total harvest rate, it is still appropriate to grow for two years to harvest.

Three, cultivation techniques

(a) Selection of land preparation

Generally non-cultivated land cultivation, relatively loose and fertile, well-drained sandy soil or sandy loam is better. It is best to apply basal fertilizer when preparing the ground, rake fine and smooth after deep tilling, and make a border of about 1.3m in width; sloping land can only open the drainage ditch, without making a border.

(2) propagation methods

Select robust growth, no pests and diseases of the plot to save seeds, September-October when the seeds are slightly brown cut back, dried and threshed after storage. 3-April sowing. The row spacing of strip sowing is about 30cm, and the hole spacing of hole sowing is 23-27cm, and the sowing ditch and hole should be shallow. Use 500-750g of seed per mu, mix it with fire ash and spread it evenly in the ditch or hole.

(C) field management

After sowing in case of drought, should be watered to moisturize. Half a month after the successive emergence of seedlings. Seedling height of about 10cm time seedling replenishment, strip sowing every 5-7cm to stay a seedling, hole sowing each hole to stay 5-6 plants, at the same time weeding, the application of a light water and fertilizer. Seedling height of 33cm when plowing and weeding, the application of thicker human and animal manure. In the second year, the same mid-tillage fertilization twice. In the first year, if you harvest the above ground part of the medicine, after cutting should be ploughed, and congested roots with rotting compost.

(D) Pests and diseases and their control

1. Rust

(Puccinia bupleuri Rud.)

Harms the stem and leaves. Prevention and control methods: (1) clear the garden, deal with disease residual plants; (2) the early stage of the disease with 25% powder rust 1000 times spray control.

2. Spotted wilt

(Septoria amphigena Miyake)

Harms the leaves, produces 3-5mm diameter round dark brown spots, the center with gray. Conidiophores are produced on both sides of the leaves. Prevention and control methods: (1) clear the garden, deal with the disease residues; (2) crop rotation | (3) early onset of the disease with 1:1:120 Bordeaux solution or 50% of the 1000 times the solution spray control.

3. Root rot

High temperature and rainy season is easy to develop. Prevention and control methods: avoid continuous cropping, preferably with crop rotation; attention to open ditch drainage.

Four, harvesting and processing

Sowing the second year after the harvest in September-October. Dig up the whole plant, remove the stems and leaves, shake the soil, dry the roots into the sun. With the whole grass can be in the fall of the year of sowing and the next year when the roots are mowed stems and leaves, sun-dried that is.