Authentic Bai Jiang (Cylindrical stem, distinct nodes, coarse downward-pointing hairs, opposite leaves, thin, pinnately deeply lobed, sparse white hairs on both sides, cymose panicles at the branch ends)

Bai Jiang Slices Bai Jiang (Thlaspi arvense) (Cylindrical stem, racemose inflorescence, yellowish-green fruit, oval and flat, winged edges, black-brown seeds attached to the edge of the septum)nn Bai Jiang Cao (Patrinia) (Thlaspi arvense)nn

Bai Jiang (Thlaspi arvense)

【Naming】n

Bai Jiang Cao (Patrinia)

n 【Source】n

Classified as Middle Grade in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing (Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica)

n 【Common Usage Level】n

D

n 【Botanical Origin】n

From the Valerianaceae family, Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch. A substitute is the dried whole plant with roots or with fruits of the Brassicaceae family, Thlaspi arvense L.

n 【Characteristics】n

(1) Patrinia: The entire plant is 50-100 cm long. The rhizome is cylindrical, with swollen nodes and fine roots on the nodes. The stem is cylindrical, 0.2-0.8 cm in diameter, yellowish-green to yellowish-brown on the surface, with distinct nodes, often with coarse downward-pointing hairs, and brittle in texture. The leaves are opposite, thin, mostly curled or broken. When intact, they are pinnately deeply lobed to completely divided, with 5-11 lobes, the apical lobes being larger. The leaves are dark green or yellowish-brown, with sparse white hairs on both sides, and sometimes with umbellate cymose panicles at the branch ends. It has a peculiar, foul-smelling (Bai Jiang) odor and a slightly bitter taste.n(2) Thlaspi arvense: The fruiting branch is about 20-30 cm long. The stem is cylindrical, grayish-yellow on the outside, with longitudinal lines, about 2-5 mm in diameter, hard in texture, and yellowish-white in cross-section. The leaves are alternate and mostly broken. The inflorescence is racemose. The fruit is yellowish-green, oval and flat, about 0.5-1.3 cm in diameter, with winged edges about 2 mm wide. The fruit is deeply cleft at the apex. Mature fruits dehisce downward along the ventral suture. The septum is white and membranous. The seeds are attached to the edge of the septum, black-brown in color, with concentric ring patterns.

n 【Identification】n

The best quality is dry, greenish-yellow, with roots and seeds, free of soil and weeds.

n 【Category】n

Whole Herb