The Resource of Chinese Materia Medica in Southwest Region of China

This region includes Guizhou Province, Sichuan Province, the most part of Yunnan Province, the west Hubei Province, the west Hunan Province, the southeast Gansu Province, the south Shaanxi Province, the north Guangxi Autonomous Region and the east Tibetan Autonomous Region. A great majority of the region is mountains, hills and plateaus. It lies in the north and the middle subtropical zones and is covered by the mixed forest of evergreen deciduous and broad-leaf trees and by the evergreen broad-leaf forest respectively.

The natural environment of the region is complex and there are various biological species. The region is the main production place of Chinese materia medica in the country. In the whole region there are about 5,000 kinds of Chinese materia medica, including about 4,500 plants, over 300 animals and about 80 minerals. Many drugs produced in this region are of high quality. They include Sichuan's Ligusticum chuanxiong (Chuanxiong), Acontum carmichaeli (Chuan Fuzi), Cyathula officinalis (Chuan Niuxi), Ophiopogon japonica (Chuan Maidong), Curcuma sichuanensis (Chuan Yujin), Angelica dahurica cv. Hangbaizhi (Chuan Baizhi), Phellodendron chinense (Huangbai), Coptis chinensis or C. deltoid (Chuan Huanglian), Fritillaria unibracteata or F. Cirrhosa (Chuan Beimu), Rheum officinalis (Chuan Dahuang) and Angelica pubescens or f. Biserrata (Duhuo), Yunnan's Aucklandia lappa (Yun Muxiang), Panax notoginseng (Yunnan Sanqi), Coptis teeta (Yun Huanglian), Angelca sinensis (Yun Danggui) and Gastrodia elata (Yun Tianma), and Guizhou's Gastrodia elata (Tianma), Eucommia ulmoides (Duzhong), Pinellia ternata (Banxia) and Evodia retaecarpa (Wuzhuyu). The wild materia medica whose production in the region accounts for over 50% of that of the country are Poria cocos (Fuling), Mangnolia officinalis (Houpo), Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora (Huhuanglian), Polyporus umbellatus (Zhuling), Gastrodia elata (Tianma), Pinellia ternate (Banxia), Dipsacus asperoides (Chuan Xuduan), Deliatoosendan (Chuanlianzi), Asparagus cochinchinensis (Tianmendong) and some mineral drugs, such as Realgar (Xionghuang) and Cinnabaris (Zhusha). The animal drugs include Zaocys dhumnades (Wushaoshe), Manis pentadactyla (Chuanshanjia) and Fel Ursi (Xiongdan).

For the resources of Chinese materia medica in the region, great efforts should be made to continue the development of the traditional genuine materia medica of Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou. Attention should also be paid to the increase the plantation of Fritillaria unibracteata or F. Cirrhosa (Chuan Beimu), Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora (Hu Huanglian), Cordyceps sinensis (Dongchongxiacao), Dendrobium nobile (Shihu) and Aucklandia lappa (Yun Muxiang), and the breeding of the rare animals, such as the musk deer, manis pentadactyla (Chuanshanjia), the bear and the clouded leopard.

The inhabitants of the region include many minority peoples, who have rich experience in use of national drugs. Therefore, attention should also be paid to the further investigation, systemization, research and development of the national drugs.