Identification & Quality Standard
Radix Polygalae
Botanical Origin
The dried root of Polygala tenuifolia Willd., Polygala sibirica L.(Polygalaceae)
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Jilin, Henan.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material has thick cortex and thick strip.
Macroscopic Features
Cylindrical shape, slightly curved, 3~15cm long, 0.3~0.8cm diameter. Externally grayish-yellow to grayish-brown, with relatively dense and deep transverse wrinkles, longitudinal wrinkles and crack lines, old roots have relatively dense and deep transverse wrinkles, with a jointed appearance. Hard and brittle texture, easily broken, brownish-yellow cortex at fractured surface, and yellowish-white xylem, cortex is easily peeled off from xylem. faint odor, bitter, slight acrid taste, irritating to the throat when chewed.
