Identification & Quality Standard
Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata
Botanical Origin
The processed product prepared from the daughter root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx.(Ranunculaceae).
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi, Sichuan.
Quality Requirements
Yan fu zi: Large, firm, grayish-black, with salt powder externally. Hei shun pian: relatively large, even thickness, hard and brittle, externally oily lustrous. Bai fu pian: large, white, translucent.
Macroscopic Features
Yan fu zi (salted aconite lateral root): Conical, 4~7cm long, 3~5cm diameter. Externally grayish-black, covered with salt powder; apex has indented sprout scars, tumor-like lateral roots or lateral root scars are present. Heavy in mass, horizontal cut surface is grayish-brown, small cracks, salt powder and a polygonal cambium ring can be seen, which is irregularly arranged on the inside. faint odor, salty taste and numbing to the tongue. Hei shun pian (black sliced aconite lateral root): longitudinal cut slices, wide upper portion and narrow lower portion, 1.7~5cm long, 0.9~3cm wide, 0.2~0.5cm thick. Outer skin is black-brown, cut surface is dark yellow, oily and lustrous, translucent, with longitudinal vascular bundles. Hard and brittle texture, fractured surface is horn-like. faint odor, tasteless. Bai fu pian (white sliced aconite lateral root): longitudinal cut slices, removed outer skin, externally yellowish-white and translucent, about 0.3mm thick. Pao fu pian (processed bai fu pian): shaped similar to bai fu pian, relatively darken color, brittle texture, and slightly raised up. Dan fu pian: longitudinal cut slices, thin, externally grayish-white, hard and brittle texture. faint odor; tasteless, not numbing to the tongue.
