Identification & Quality Standard
Radix Trichosanthis
Botanical Origin
The dried root of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.(Cucurbitaceae)
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is fat and large, white, firm, powdery and with lack of ‘veins” on fractured surface.
Macroscopic Features
Irregular cylindrical, fusiform, or petal-like lumps, 8~16cm long, 1.5~5.5cm diameter. Externally yellowish-white or pale brownish-yellow, with longitudinal wrinkles, thin root scars and slightly indented horizontal long lenticels, sometimes with remnants of yellowish-brown outer skin. Firm texture, fractured surface is white or pale yellow, powdery, horizontal cut surface has yellow xylem, ‘veins’ slightly arranged in radial pattern, longitudinal cut surface has yellow longitudinal linear xylem. faint odor, slightly bitter taste.
