Identification & Quality Standard
Flos Chrysanthemi
Botanical Origin
The dried flower head of Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.(Asteraceae). Divided based on the different regions and processing methods into ‘Hang ju’, ‘Bo ju’, ‘Gong ju’, ‘Chu ju’.
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material has intact flowers, fresh color, clear aromatic odor.
Macroscopic Features
Hang ju: flower head is flat spherical, irregular spherical or slightly flat, diameter often 1.5~4cm; involucres is formed by 3~4 layers of bracts, outer layers are numerous ligulate flowers, off-white or yellow, center is tubular flowers; clear aromatic odor, sweet and slightly bitter taste. Bo ju: inverse conical or cylindrical shape, sometimes slightly pressed flat in to a fan shape, diameter is 1.5~3cm, scattered; ligulate flowers are at the outer layers; pistil is off-white or pale yellowish-white, erect and raise upwards; scattered golden glands; numerous tubular flowers are bisexual, at the center, hidden by the lingulate flowers, yellow, with 5 teeth-cracks on the tip; light, clear aromatic odor; slightly bitter taste. Gong ju: lingulate flower is white or off-white, involucres is disc-like, 4~5 layers of angular oval shaped bracts, green, with green pedicel; center of flower is small, even, not scattered; soft texture, aromatic odor; sweet and slightly bitter taste. Chu ju: irregular spherical or flat spherical shape, diameter is 1.5~2.5cm; ligulate flower is off-white, irregular curved, rolls inward, the edges are wrinkled, sometimes pale brown gland spots can be seen; tubular flowers are mostly hidden; this medicinal material has the most tight petals among Chrysanthemi Flos.
