A PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STUDY OF HUANG-CHIN, RADIX SCUTELLARIAE BAICALENSIS

Huang-chin, the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georg., family Labiate, is used in Chinese medicine as an antipyretic and has been proved to have hypotensive action by recent workers. The sensory, macroscopical and microscopical characters are described in detail. The more important diagnostic features are: stone cells in the cork; fibriform sclerenchymatous calls in the cortex; spindle-shaped parenchyma cells in the xylem. The central part of the old root is usually decayed due to the formation of circles of suberized tissue.