The types of Chinese medicinal material

Chinese medicine consisted of Chinese medicinal material, decocting pieces and proprietary Chinese medicine, and the Chinese medicinal material was the raw material of two later. According to investigation there were 1000 - 1200 kinds of medicinal material used for decocting pieces and proprietary Chinese medicine in China, 80% of them belonged to wild material, 20% belonged to cultivate. In China there are 800 -900 kinds of drugs belonged to plant made up 90% of the total applied materials, 100 kinds and more belonged to animal, 70 - 80 kinds to mineral. In the plant materials there are 200 - 250 kinds belonged to root and rhizome; 180 - 230 to fruit and seed; 169 - 180 to whole grass; 60 - 70 to flower; 50 - 60 to leaf; 30 - 40 to bark; 40 50 to liana; 20 to mushroom and algae; 20 - 25 processed herb for example Bile arisaema (Dannanxing), Baphicacanthus cusia (Qingdai), Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis (Zhuru), and so on. In the animal materials there are 30 - 40 kinds belonged to invertebrate drug, for example Spongilla fragilla fragilis (Zishaohua), Pumice (Haifushi), and so on; 30 - 40 belonged to fish, amphibian, and reptile; 60 to animal.

(1). The types of Chinese medicinal material of production and management in every areas

The notable regionalism of the resources of Chinese medicinal material decided the difference including the types of the material of production and procurement, the habit used drugs, type and amount of management of the material in every area made the regional pattern of the material. At the north of the Yellow River more of the material is root and rhizome having resistance to cold, drought and saline-alkali, and then is fruit. At the Yangtze River valley, and the southern part of China more of the material is leaf, whole grass, flower, liana, bark, and animal liked warm and damp. There are 200 - 300 kinds of cultivated and wild medicinal material procured at the north part of China, and 400 kinds at the south. At northeast area the types of cultivated (raised) included Panax ginseng (Renshen), Cornu cervi pantotrichum (Lurong), Asarum heterotropoides (Xixin), that of wild included Phellodendron amurense (Huangbai), Saposhnikovia divaricata (Fangfeng), Radix gentianae (Longdan), Oviductus ranaes (Hamayou), and so on. In north China the cultivated types are represented Codonopsis pi'osula (Dangshen), Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi), Rmannia glutinosa (Dihuang), Dioscorea opposita (Shanyao), Lonicera japonica (Jinyinhua), and the wild are Scutellaria baicalensis (Huangqin), Bupleurum chinense or B. scorzonerifolium (Chaihu), Polygala tenuifolia (Yuanzhi), Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Zhimu), Ziziphus jujuba (Suanzaoren) and Forsythia suspensa (Lianqiao). In east China the cultivated types are Fritillaria cirrhosa var. ecirrhosa (Beimu), Lonicera japonica (Jinyinhua), Corydalis yanhusuo (Yanhusuo), Paeonia lactiflora (Baishao), Magnolia officinalis (Houpo), Atractylodes macrocephala (Baizhu), and Paeonia suffruticosa (Mudanpi). The wild types in this area include Buthus martensi, Snakes, Prunella vulgaris (Xiakucao), Bufo bufo gargarizans (Chansu), Biota orientalis (Baiziren), etc. In central China the cultivated types are Poria cocos (Fuling), Cornus officinalis (Shanzhuyu), Magnolia liliflora (Xinyi), Angelica pubescens (Duhuo), Dipsacus asper (Xuduan), and Poncirus trifoliate (Zhiqiao). While the wild types are Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans (Wugong), Chinembs reevesii (Guiban), Carapax trionycis (Biejia), Pinellia ternate (Banxia), Belamcanda chinensis (Shegan). In south China the cultivated types are Amomum villosum (Sharen), Areca catechu (Binglang), Alpinia oxyphylla (Yizhi), Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis (Foshou), and Pogostemon cablin (Guanghuoxiang). The wild types in this area are Polygonum multiflorum (Heshouwu), Stephania tetrandra or aristolochia fangchi (Fangji), Amomum tsao-ko (Caoguo), Dendrobium nobile or D. officinale (Shihu), Manis pentadactyla (Chuanshanjia), Gekko gecko (Gejie). In southwest China the cultivated types are Coptis chinensis or C. deltoidea or C. omeoensis or C. teetoides (Huanglian), Eucommia ulmoides (Duzhong), Ligusticum chuanxiong (Chuanxiong), Aconitum carmichaeli (Fuzi), Panax pseudo-ginseng var. notoginseng (Sanqi), Curcuma aromatica or C. longa or C.zedoaria (Yujin), and Ophiopogon japonicus (Maidong). The wild types are Musk (Shexiang), Fritillaria cirrhosa or F. cirrhosa var. ecirrhosa (Chuan Beimu), Cordyceps sinensis (Dongchongxiacao), and Notopterygium incisum or N. forbesii or N. franchetii (Qianghuo). In northwest China the cultivated types are Gastrodia elata (Tianma), Eucommia ulmoides (Duzhong), Angelica sinensis (Danggui), Codonopsis pi'osula (Dangshen), Lycium chinense or L. barbarum (Gouqizi), and so on. The wild types are Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Gancao), Ephedra sinica or E. equisetina or E. intermedia (Mahuang), Rheum palmatum or R. tanguticum or R. officinale (Dahuang), Gentiana macrophylla or G. crassicaulis or G. tibetica (Qinjiao), Cistanche salsa or C. deserticola or C. ambigua (Roucongrong), Cynomorium songaricum (Suoyang), and so on. The sea drugs are Laminaria japonica or Ecklonia kurome or undaria pinnatifida (Kunbu), Sargassum fusiforme or S. pallidum (Haizao), Concha haliotidis (Shijueming), Concha ostreae (Muli), Hippocampus kelloggi or H. histrix or H. kuda or H. trimaculatus (Haima), etc.