Identification & Quality Standard
Radix Platycodonis
Botanical Origin
The dried root of Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC.(Campanulaceae)
Production Regions
Primarily produced in northern and northeastern China.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material has fat and large strips, firm body, white external color.
Macroscopic Features
Long round or long fusiform, slightly twisted, lower portion occasionally has branches, 6~20cm long, 1~2cm diameter. Externally pale yellowish-white or pale yellowish-brown (without peeling off cortex), wrinkled, with twisted longitudinal grooves and horizontal lenticel-like spotted scars, upper portion has horizontal wrinkles; apex has “neck”(rhizome), 0.5~4cm long, with indented half-moon stem scars shaped like nodes. Firm texture, horizontally cut surface is pale yellow, horn-like, brown cambium, cortex has few radial cracks, xylem is relatively tight. faint odor, tastes slightly sweet then bitter. Pieces: irregular round thick pieces, externally white or pale yellowish-white, with one pale brown ring, surrounding is pale yellowish-white, with wrinkles. faint odor, tastes slightly sweet then bitter. Honey-processed jie geng: shaped like unprocessed jie geng; externally pale yellow to pale brownish-yellow, moist and slightly smells of honey; taste is sweet then bitter.
