Identification & Quality Standard
Descurainiea Semen;Lepidii Semen
Botanical Origin
The dried mature seed of Descurainia Sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl, Lepidium apetalum Willd.(Brassiacaceae). The first is also called ‘nan ting li zi (south ting li zi)’, the second is also called ‘bei ting li zi (north ting li zi)’.
Production Regions
Primarily produced in central southern and eastern China.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is full, even, reddish-brown.
Macroscopic Features
Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl: long spherical and slightly flat shape, 0.8~1.2mm long, about 0.5mm diameter; externally yellowish-brown, one end is blunt round, another end is slightly indented or relatively flat, center is indented, hilum is at the concave end, surface of the seed has dense reticular patterns and 2 longitudinal shallow grooves. faint odor, slightly acrid taste, slightly sticky. Lepidium apetalum Willd.: flat oval shape, 1~1.5mm long, 0.5~1mm wide. Externally yellowish-brown or reddish-brown, slightly lustrous, with numerous tiny granular protrusions, can see 2 longitudinal shallow grooves, one groove is relatively obvious, one end is blunt round, another end is gradually pointed and slightly indented, hilum is at the concave end, but is not obvious. faint odor, slightly bitter and acrid, taste, very sticky.
