Before answering this question, let's take a brief look at Atractylodes macrocephala and Atractylodes cangzhi.

First of all, there is Atractylodes macrocephala. Atractylodes is a perennial herb in the genus Cangzhu of the Asteraceae family that can reach a height of 60 centimeters with a nodding rhizome. The stem of Atractylodes macrocephala is erect, all smooth and glabrous. Leaves alternate, leaf blade pinnatisect, lateral lobes oblanceolate, elliptic or long elliptic, the terminal lobe is larger than the lateral lobes, all the leaf texture is thin, papery, green on both sides, glabrous, the head of the inflorescence single at the tip of the stem and branches, bracts are green, pin prickly pinnatisect.

Then there is Cangzhu. Cangzhu is the dried rhizome of Maocangzhu, a plant in the Asteraceae family. In general, it is dug in the spring and fall seasons, and then remove the mud and sand, after drying in the sun can be, remove the fibrous roots.

In real life, many people can not distinguish between Atractylodes macrocephala and Atractylodes macrocephala, and do not know the difference between them. So, what is the difference between Atractylodes macrocephala and Atractylodes macrocephala?

The first difference: as we know, atractylodes macrocephala is pungent and warm and can strengthen the spleen and dry dampness and can relieve the surface, mainly for the symptoms of spleen deficiency and dampness invasion of the base of the surface, atractylodes macrocephala is sweet and warm and can strengthen the spleen and dry dampness and replenish the middle of the body and benefit the qi. In general, Cangzhu has no effect of tonifying the deficiency, and Baijiao has no function of relieving symptoms.

The second difference: Atractylodes macrocephala and Atractylodes macrocephala can strengthen the spleen and dry dampness, treating the evidence of the spleen's lack of health, dampness and obstruction. However, atractylodes macrocephala has the function of tonifying the qi and strengthening the spleen, which is suitable for those who have a deficiency of the spleen and dampness; atractylodes macrocephala has a strong power of bitter warmth and drying dampness, which is suitable for those who have cold dampness and dampness stagnation in the middle jiao and the deficiency of the spleen is not obvious.

The third difference: Atractylodes macrocephala can stop sweating, diuresis and swelling, and benefit qi and tire, treating qi deficiency and sweating, spleen deficiency and edema, phlegm and fetal restlessness, etc.; Atractylodes macrocephala is also able to remove wind-dampness, sweating to relieve the epidermis and clear the eyes, treating wind-dampness paralysis, external wind-cold and dampness of the epidermis and night blindness. Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae favors strengthening the spleen, so it is mostly used for spleen and stomach qi deficiency. Atractylodes macrocephala is more dry, and it is used in the treatment of dampness in the spleen and Yang, or dampness in the "paralysis".

The fourth difference: as I said earlier, Atractylodes macrocephala is the rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala, a perennial herb in the family of Asteraceae. It is sweet, bitter and warm in nature. It belongs to the spleen and stomach meridian. Atractylodes macrocephala is good at strengthening the spleen and benefiting qi, drying dampness and inducing diuresis, stopping sweating, and tranquilizing the fetus. It is good at treating weak spleen qi, fatigue, low food and abdominal distension, loose stools, water-drink stoppage, urinary incontinence, edema, phlegm-drinking dizziness, dampness-paralysis and soreness, qi sweating, and fetal restlessness, etc. It can be used in the treatment of spleen deficiency with dampness, food and stomach. Clinical spleen deficiency with dampness, loose food or diarrhea, often with ginseng, poria, etc., such as the four gentleman soup; spleen deficiency in the yang is not vibrant, phlegm and drink, chest and hypochondriac support fullness, dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath and coughing, the tongue coating white slippery, with Poria, cinnamon, etc., with.

Similarly, Cangzhu is the dried rhizome of the plant Maocangzhu or Beicangzhu of the family Asteraceae. It is pungent, bitter and warm in nature. It belongs to the spleen, stomach and liver meridians. It is good at drying dampness and strengthening the spleen, dispelling wind and dispersing cold, and brightening the eyes. It is good at treating dampness trapped in the spleen and stomach, tiredness and sleepiness, epigastric rumbling and distension, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, phlegm, dampness and swelling, surface evidence of dampness, head and body pain, dampness paralysis, limb soreness and pain, and night blindness. Where dampness is trapped in the spleen and stomach, dysfunction of healthy movement, chest plumpness and abdominal distension, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, loose stools, tiredness of the limbs, and cloudy and greasy tongue, it can be used together with Houpu, Chenpi, and licorice.

In short, there is a big difference between Atractylodes macrocephala and Atractylodes macrocephala, try to use it under the guidance of your doctor.