Top Grade Wen Dangshen (Long cylindrical, slightly curved, grayish-brown, with longitudinal wrinkles and lenticels)

Wen Dangshen (Ring-shaped wrinkles, earthworm head)

First Grade Wen Dangshen (Loose skin, tight flesh, oil spots)

Gansu Top Grade Wen Dangshen (Fragrant odor, distinctively sweet taste)

Sichuan Wen Dangshen Slices (Radiating patterns, visible xylem)

Lu Dangshen First Grade (Lion’s head coil)

Lu Dangshen Second Grade (Oil spots)

Guizhou Dangshen

First Grade Banqiao Dangshen (Dark brown gelatinous substance on the upper right)

Second Grade Banqiao Dangshen (Few branches)

Third Grade Banqiao Dangshen

White Skin Dangshen

Wufeng Dangshen

Wufeng Dangshen

Tianshui Dangshen (Left 4 sulfur fumigated, right 4 original color)

Longxi White Strip Dangshen

Longxi White Strip Dangshen

White Skin Dangshen

Fang Dangshen

【Naming】

Dangshen

 【Source】

Essentials of Materia Medica

 【Common Use Level】

A

 【Botanical Origin】

Roots of Codonopsis pilosula Na f., Codonopsis pilosula Na f. var. modesta (Na f.) L. T. Shen, Codonopsis tangshan Olive., Codonopsis tubulosa Kom., etc., all belonging to the Campanulaceae family.

 【Characteristics】

There are many types of Dangshen. Due to different production areas, the products are conventionally divided into the following five categories. For detailed comparisons of characteristics, see the Taiwan market products.
(1) Xi Dangshen (Wen Dangshen, Wenyuan Dangshen, Fang Dangshen, Jing Dangshen, Ye Dangshen, Jiezhou Dangshen). Source: Codonopsis pilosula var. modesta.
(2) Tiao Dangshen (Danzhi Dangshen, Banqiao Dangshen, Baxian Dangshen). Source: Codonopsis tangshan.
(3) Lu Dangshen (Shanxi Lu Dangshen, Gansu Baitiao Dangshen, Guangdong Lu Dangshen, Shanxi Wutai Dangshen, Tai Dangshen (Tai Dangshen: refers to wild Dangshen medicinal material produced in Lu’an, Changzhi, Huguan and other places in Shanxi), Baipi Dangshen, Biaoiao Dangshen). Source: Codonopsis pilosula.
(4) Dong Dangshen (Jilin Dangshen). Source: Codonopsis pilosula.
(5) Bai Dangshen (Xu Dangshen, Xuzhou Dangshen, Xufu Dangshen, Guizhou Dangshen). Source: Codonopsis tubulosa.
Prepared slices are thin cross-sections, approximately 1.5~3mm thick. The edges are grayish-brown. The phloem occupies most of the root and is off-white in color with radiating rays and numerous fissures, forming the so-called chrysanthemum pattern. The cambium ring is clear, the chrysanthemum heart is obvious and brown, and the xylem is light yellow with small pores (vessels).

 【Processing】

1. Raw Dangshen 2. Stir-fried Dangshen

 【Identification】

《Verified Prescriptions》: “Dangshen: The best quality has a yellow color, sweet taste, soft branches, and a chrysanthemum heart.”《Augmented Materia Medica》: “In general, the best quality is clean, soft, robust, and sweet.”
1. Xi Dangshen: The best quality has thick, large roots, tight skin, numerous transverse wrinkles, and a sweet taste. 2. Dong Dangshen: The best quality has thick, large roots, yellow outer skin, tight skin and firm flesh, and numerous wrinkles. 3. Lu Dangshen: The best quality has a single branch without forks, white color, thick and long root.

 【Identification Terms】

1. Transforms into Slag: Refers to medicinal materials that leave no residue after chewing in the mouth, such as authentic Dangshen.
2. Tai Dangshen: Refers to wild Dangshen medicinal material produced in Lu’an, Changzhi, Huguan and other places in Shanxi.
3. Xi Dangshen: Generally refers to Dangshen medicinal material produced in Gansu, Shaanxi, and northern Sichuan.
4. Dong Dangshen: Generally refers to Dangshen medicinal material produced in Northeast China.
5. Loach Head: Small strips of Tiao Dangshen, whose reed head is smaller than the main root body, shaped like a loach’s head.
6. Oil Spots: The outer part of the fallen branch roots often has a dark brown gelatinous substance, which is the result of the internal milky juice overflowing, drying, and solidifying, commonly known as oil spots.
7. Earthworm Head: The upper body near the root head has tight and obvious ring-shaped wrinkles, commonly known as “earthworm head.”
8. Red Shell Dangshen: Refers to Lu Dangshen medicinal material that is dyed red with red soil. It is now believed to be useless for medicinal effects and harmful to the human body, so it is rarely used.
9. Xu Dangshen: Refers to Xichang Dangshen produced in Xichang and Yibin areas of Sichuan, also known as sweet Dangshen. It is named after the ancient name of Yibin, “Xufu.” Its original plant is Codonopsis tubulosa.
10. Lion’s Head Coil (Lion’s Head, Lion’s Head Coil Reed): The head of the Dangshen root is enlarged with wart-like protrusions of stem scars and bud scars, shaped like a “lion’s head,” with a dense number of yellowish-white dotted protrusions, which are the traces left after the above-ground stems fall off. It mainly refers to the shape of the root head, and also includes stem scars.
11. Sugary Nature: Contains a lot of sugar, tastes sweet, such as Dangshen, wolfberry, etc.
12. Lu Dangshen: Refers to artificially cultivated Dangshen medicinal material in Lu’an, Changzhi, Huguan, Jincheng and other places in Shanxi.

 【Category】

Roots