Atractylodes lancea is an East Asian member of the daisy family whose knobby is the source of cang zhu (蒼朮), a long-used Chinese herbal medicine. It isn't native to the United States; it grows wild in China, Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A perennial herb about 1–3 ft (30–100 cm) tall, with a hard, fragrant, jointed rhizome.
- Leaves
- Leaf shape varies even on one plant: lower leaves are often divided into 3–5 lobes, upper leaves are undivided, and the edges carry fine, bristly teeth.
- Flowers
- Thistle-like heads of white to pale pinkish-purple flowers sit at the stem tips, surrounded by spiny, needle-like . Male and female flowers are usually on separate plants.
- Fruit
- Small dry fruits topped with a tuft of hairs.
Where it lives
- Range
- Native to Vietnam, much of China, Korea, the southern Russian Far East, and Japan. Not native to the U.S.
Name and classification
- About the name
- Many botanists now include plants once called Atractylodes ovata, A. japonica, and A. chinensis in this species, so books may use those names for the same plant.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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