The Study of the Chinese Drugs of Umbelliferae——Ⅰ.Identification of the Drug Du-Huo

This report accounts for eight different chinese commercial drugs Du-Huo which were sorted out among fifteen sources recently obtained from 46 districts (hsiens) of 15 provinces. All of them are the members of the Umbelliferae, namely, Angelica pubescens Maxim. f. biserrata Shan et Yuan f. nov., Angelica apaensis Shan et Yuan sp. nov., Angelica erythrocarpa Wolff, Heracleum hemsleyanum Diels, Heracleum candicans Wall., Heracleum lanatum Michx., Heracleum yungningense and Peucedanum medicum Dunn. With reference to the chinese herbal literatures, the authors scrutinized the various informations about the plant sources of Du-Huo. It was found that various plant materials of Umbelliferae, i.e. many species belong to Heracleum L. and some belong to Angelica L., have long been used in ancient theraupeutics. As regards to the present status in drug market, the mostly widely used drugs Du-Huo are the roots of Angelica pubescens Maxim. f.biserrata Shan et Yuan and Angelica pubescens Maxim. being estimated as the first class materials, and those of Angelica dahurica Benth. & Hook.,Heracleum hemsleyanum Diels and Heracleum lanatum Michx. as the lowers. This account also describes the morphological and histological characteristics for the eight species investigated. A new species and a new form are herewith described: 1. Angelica apaensis Shan et Yuan sp. nov. Herba perennis ad 1.5 m alta. Rhizoma crassum, radix teres circ. 20cm longa. Caulis erectus, simplex, sulcatus, violaceo-tinctus, fistulosus, puberulus. Folia inferiora bipinnatisecta, petiolis 8—15 cm longis, subito latissime vaginatis, vaginis compressis, cucullatis, ovato-rotundis, amplexicaulibus, 6—8 cm longis, circ. 10cm latis, viridis vel purpureis, membranaceis, in nervo puberulis; folia superiora ambitu triangulara ovata, bitripinnatisecta, laminis 3—4-jugo-pinnatisectis, circ. 15cm longis, 17cm latis supra perviribus glabris, subtus pallidis, petiolis brevissime vel nullis et latissime vaginato-membranaceis saepe cucullatis longo-ellipticis, amplexicaulis, 5—7cm longis, 6cm latis, ad apicem concavis; pinnae Ⅰ.ordinis 3-jugo-pinnatisectae, segmentis ultimis 3—5-jugo-pinnatis, lanceolatis, sessilibus, saepe decurrentibus. Umbellae terminales et laterales, radiis 35—65, inaequilongis, strictis, 2.5—5cm longis, postremo submaturo pluries longioris usque 15 cm longis, purpureis, densis puberulis; involucri phylla 5—9, longo-lanceolata vel lanceolata, 0.8—2cm longa, 1.5—8mm lata, ad apicem acuta subpellucida membranacea; involucellorum phylla 4—8 lineari-lanceolata, 0.3—1cm longa,1.5—8mm lata. Umbellulae 25—50-florae, pedicellis 2—5 mm longis sub fr.submat.1cm longis, antheris albis. Fructus glaber ellipticus vel suborbicularis fulvidus, crassiusculis, fructis in umbellis terminales grandes 5—10mm longis, 5—9mm latis, ad basin et ad apicem emarginatis, jugis dorsalibus centralibus manifeste prominentibus, lateralibus alatis, alis ovaris subaequilatis vel latioribus, stylopodis plano-conicis, valleculis 1-vittatis, commissuris evittatis. Szechuan: Apa, T. S. Yue 64066. 2. Angelica pubescens Maxim. f. biserrata Shan et Yuan f.nov. A typo tenuifoliis marginibus inaequalibus duplicato-serratis, fructis grandioribus, valleculis 1—4 vittatis, commissuris 4—5 differt. Hupeh: Tzu-chiu, H. C. Cheng s.m.; Patung, W. C. Li s.m. Szechuan: Wushan M. L. Sheh 64168; Wuchi M.L.Sheh 6491. Chiangsi: Tsui-chuan, T.S.Yue 4347.