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Atractylodes lancea - (Thunb.)DC.

Common Name Cang Zhu
Family Asteraceae or Compositae
USDA hardiness Coming soon
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Grassland, forests, thickets and rock crevices at elevations of 700 - 2500 metres[266].
Range E. Asia - Central China.
Edibility Rating    (1 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (3 of 5)
Care (info)
Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Atractylodes lancea Cang Zhu


Atractylodes lancea Cang Zhu

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Atractylodes lancea is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). .
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

 Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root
Edible Uses:

Root - raw or cooked. Exceedingly rich in vitamin A, it also contains 1.5% essential oils[179].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

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Antidiarrhoeal  Antiemetic  Antirheumatic  Appetizer  Digestive  Diuretic  Expectorant  Stomachic  
Tonic

This plant is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine[238]. The root is a bitter-sweet tonic herb that acts mainly upon the digestive system[238]. The root is antibacterial, antiemetic, appetizer, digestive, diuretic, hypoglycaemic, sedative, stomachic and tonic[174, 176, 178, 238]. It is often used in conjunction with other herbs such as Codonopsis tangshen and Glycyrrhiza uralensis[238]. It is used in the treatment of poor appetite, digestive disorders such as dyspepsia, abdominal distension and chronic diarrhoea, rheumatoid arthritis, oedema, spontaneous sweating and night blindness[176]. The roots are harvested in the autumn and baked for use in tonics[238].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

None known

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. This species is closely related to A. japonica[174]. It is being investigated in China for the viability of growing it as a commercial crop[238]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any well-drained soil in sun or partial shade[238]. This species is dioecious. Both male and female plants need to be grown if seed is required[266].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the following spring or early summer.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

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Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Atractylodes japonicaJapanese AtractylodesPerennial0.8 -  LMHSNM23 
Atractylodes macrocephalaBai ZhuPerennial0.5 5-9  LMHSNM03 

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Author

(Thunb.)DC.

Botanical References

266

Links / References

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