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Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr.
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English Name |
Wild Asparagus, |
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Latin name |
Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr. |
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Family & Genus |
Liliaceae, Asparagus |
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Description |
Perennial climbing herbs, whole plant glabrous. Tuber succulent, clustered, long-elliptic, 4-10cm long, grey-yellow. Stem thin, up to 2m; leafy branches usually 3 clustered together, flat, 1-3cm long, 1-2mm wide. Leave degenerate into scales, apex long and acute, prickles on stem, 2.5-3mm long. 1-3 flowers clustered at axil, unisexual, pale green; peduncle 2-6mm long; male flowers tepals 6, stamens slightly shorter than perianth, anther ovate, 0.7mm long; berry spherical, diameter 6-7mm, red; one seed. Flowering: May to July; fruiting: August. |
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Distribution |
Growing in dank places of mountains. Distributed in Central and Northwest China, the Yangtze River basin and the southern parts of China. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Anhui, Hubei, Henan, Jiangxi and etc. |
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Part Used |
Medical part: earthnut. Chinese name: Tianmendong. |
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Harvest & Processing |
Excavated in autumn or winter, better quality in winter, well washed, removed fibrous root, divided by size, boiled or steamed in boiling water, taken out when the bark easily to be taken off, put in clean water, taken off the bark and dried by low fire or smoked by sulfur, then dried. |
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Chemistry |
Mainly contains asparagine and steroidal saponins. |
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Pharmacology |
Drying-damp and fire-removing. |
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Properties & Actions |
Sweet, bitter, cold, non-toxic.Nourishing yin, moistening dryness, clearing lung, reducing fire, moistening lung and clearing heat. |
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Indications & Usage |
Fever with yin asthenia, cough and hematemesis, consumptive lung disease, pulmonary abscess, swelling and pain in throat, diabetes, constipation, difficulty in urination.Internal: decocting, 10-20g; prepared plaster, or made as pills or powders. No use in cases of cold, diarrhea or cough. |
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Examples |
Treat tuberculosis: asparagi radix, stemona, lycium bark, 15g each, dwarf lilyturf 9g, zheergen 30g. Stew in water or with meat, and eat. |
| Link to |
 Chinese Medicinal Material Images Database
Chinese Medicine Specimen Database
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