Identification & Quality Standard
Testudinis Carapax et Plastrum
Botanical Origin
The dorsal and ventral shell of Chinemys reevesii (Gray) (Testudinidae). Harvested year-round, most abundantly in autumn and winter. After capture it is killed directly, the dorsal and ventral shells are scraped off, flesh is removed, also called ‘xue ban’. Or killed by boiled water, then scraped the dorsal and ventral shells off, removed the flesh, sun-dry, also called ‘tang ban’.
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Anhui, Zhejiang, Hubei, Hunan.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material has large plates, no flesh, and bloodstains on the shell.
Macroscopic Features
The dorsal and ventral plates are linked by shell link, dorsal shell is slightly longer than the ventral shell, and often separated. Dorsal shell is long oval arch-shape, 7.5~22cm long, 6~18cm wide; outer surface is brown or black-brown, with 3 ridges; 1 plate at the neck, narrow tip and wide bottom; 5 vertebral plates, length of first plate is longer or nearly equal to the width of it, the width of 2~4th plates length; 4 symmetrical sets of plates at the ribs, 11 symmetrical plates on the edges, 2 plates at the rump. Ventral shell is plate-shaped, nearly rectangular oval shape, 6.4~21cm long, 5.5~17cm wide; externally pale yellowish-brown to brownish-black, 12 plates, each has a purple-brown radial pattern, abdominal, chest and rump shells have even middle line length, throat and anal plates are ranked next, humerous plate is the shortest; inner surface is yellowish-white to grayish –white, sometimes with slight remnants of blood or flesh. After removing all remnants, the 9 bone plates can be seen and are linked in a saw-toothed line; apex is blunt round or flat, base has triangle incision, both sides have remnants of wing-like upward curled shell link. Hard texture; slightly fishy odor; slightly salty taste.
