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Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC.
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English Name |
Shiny-leaved Prickly Ash, |
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Latin name |
Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. |
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Family & Genus |
Rutaceae, Zanthoxylum |
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Description |
Evergreen woody climber. Back of stem, branch and rachis and leaflet midrib have hooks like sharp spine. Singular pinnately compound leaf, alternate, leaflet 3-11 pieces, with short stipe, lamina ovate to elliptic giant round, 4-11cm long, 2.5-6cm wide, tip sharp or short tail apiciform, basal part nearly round or broad wedge shaped, entire or slightly sparse ora serrata, hairless, leathery and glossy. Corymbose panicle, axillary, inflorescence 2.5-5cm long; sepals 4, extremely small, broad ovate; petals 4, square round ovate, about 2mm long, stamen of male flower 4, slightly longer than petal, tip of degenerated carpel generally 4 lobed; staminodium of female flower extremely short, carpels 4. Mature carpels 1-4, purplish red, folded when dried. Follicle ball shaped, 4-5mm in diameter, dark purlish red when mature, 2 lobed, with thick glandular dot. Seeds orbicular ovate, lacquer-black and glossy. Flowering: March to April, Fruiting: September to October. |
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Distribution |
Growing on hills, in slope thickets or forests. Can be cultivated. Distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Taiwan and etc. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and etc. |
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Part Used |
Medical part: roots. Chinese name: mature pericarp: Liangmianzhen. |
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Harvest & Processing |
Roots can be harvested throughout the year, sliced, and sun-dried. |
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Chemistry |
Roots contain nitidine chloride, etc. |
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Pharmacology |
Pain-killing, sedative, beneficial to cardiovascular system, spasm-relieving, anticancer, and anti-bacterial. |
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Properties & Actions |
Bitter, pungent, neutral, mild-toxic.Promoting qi-flow for suppressing pains, dispelling wind and eliminating dampness, promoting blood circulation for eliminating stasis. |
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Indications & Usage |
Used for vomiting and diarrhea due to exogenous wind-heat effects, rheumatic ostalgia, dyspeptic abdominalgia, toothache, swelling pain caused by falls, swelling pain resulting from old falls, venomous snake bites, externally applied to treat foot sores.Oral administration: decocting, 6-9g; powdered or made as medicinal liquor. External application: decocted for washing, smashed for applying, ground with wine or powdered for dusting. |
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Examples |
1. Toothache: shiny-leaved prickly ash root 9-15g. Decoct in water and swallow; or grind into powder 5 fen, swallow with water.
2. Rheumatic osteodynia: shiny-leaved prickly ash root peel 9g, egg 1. Decoct in water and swallow. |
| Link to |
 Chinese Medicinal Material Images Database
Chinese Medicine Specimen Database
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