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Atractylodes macrocephala

Common name:	Bai Zhu	Family:	Compositae
Author:	Koidz.	Botanical references:	238, 266
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China, Japan and Korea.
Habitat:	Pastures and waste ground[238]. Grassland and forests at elevations of 600 - 2800 metres[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	macrocephala = large head
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	China

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.5m by 0.4m . It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antibacterial Diuretic Sedative Stomachic Tonic.

Bai Zhu is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine[238]. The root is a bitter-sweet tonic herb that acts mainly upon the digestive system and strengthens the spleen[238, 254].
The root is antibacterial, diuretic, hypoglycaemic, sedative, stomachic and tonic[176, 238]. It is used in the treatment of poor appetite, dyspepsia, abdominal distension, chronic diarrhoea, oedema and spontaneous sweating[176]. It is often used in conjunction with other herbs such as Codonopsis tangshen and Glycyrrhiza uralensis[238]. Combined with Baical skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) it is used to prevent miscarriage[254]. The roots are harvested in the autumn and baked for use in tonics[238].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in any well-drained soil in sun or partial shade[238].
This species is probably hardy in most of Britain, it tolerates temperatures down to at least -15° c[238].
Widely cultivated in China for its use as a medicinal herb[238, 266].
This species is dioecious. Both male and female plants need to be grown if seed is required[266].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the following spring or early summer.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Atractylodes+macrocephala
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.