Astragalus root, known in Chinese medicine, is esteemed for its functions in invigorating the spleen, replenishing qi, raising yang, lifting prolapse, enhancing defense, consolidating the exterior, promoting diuresis, detoxification, and promoting tissue regeneration. It is primarily used for deficiency of spleen qi, deficiency of lung qi, spontaneous sweating due to deficiency of qi, deficiency of qi and blood, stubborn ulcers, or long-standing wounds that are difficult to heal.
Medicinal materials pictures:
Properties and Meridians: Astragalus root has a sweet taste, a slightly warm nature, and primarily enters the spleen and lung meridians.
Functions: Invigorating the spleen, replenishing qi, raising yang, lifting prolapse, enhancing defense, consolidating the exterior, promoting diuresis, detoxification, and promoting tissue regeneration.
Morphological Characteristics:
1. Astragalus mongholicus: A perennial herbaceous plant, reaching a height of 50-150cm. The root is straight, cylindrical, slightly woody, and ranges from pale yellow-brown to dark brown on the surface. The stem is erect with branching in the upper part, covered with long soft hairs. Odd-pinnate compound leaves are alternate; leaf stalks have lanceolate stipules at the base; there are 25-37 leaflets, which are broadly elliptic, 4-9mm long, with slightly blunt apices, short tips, and wedge-shaped bases, with entire margins and white long soft hairs on both surfaces. The axillary racemes bear 10-25 flowers; the pedicels are short with black stiff hairs; the bracts are linear-lanceolate; the calyx is tubular; the corolla is yellow, papilionaceous; there are 10 stamens, diadelphous; the ovary is stalked, smooth without hairs, and the stigma is hairless. The legume is membranous, swollen, ovoid-oblong, 1.1-1.5cm wide, hairless, with a prominent reticulate pattern at the apex. There are 5-6 kidney-shaped, black seeds. The flowering period is from June to July, and the fruiting period is from August to September.
2. Astragalus membranaceus: This species is morphologically similar to the above, mainly distinguished by having 13-31 leaflets, which are ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, 7-30mm long, and 4-10mm wide. The corolla is pale yellow; the ovary is sparsely hairy. The legume is ovoid-oblong, 2-2.5cm long, 0.9-1.2cm wide, and covered with black short hairs.
Distribution Areas:
1. Astragalus mongholicus: Distributed in Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Tibet, Xinjiang, and other places. It is cultivated in northeastern China, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and other places.
2. Astragalus membranaceus: Distributed in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shandong, Sichuan, Tibet, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and other places. It is cultivated in northeastern China, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, and other places.
Growing Environment:
1. Astragalus mongholicus: Grows on slopes, along ditches, or in sparse forests.
2. Astragalus membranaceus: Grows on sunny slopes, edges of shrubs, or sandy riverbanks.
Growth picture:
Medicinal Characteristics:
The root is cylindrical, sometimes branched, thicker at the upper end, 30-90cm long, and 1-3.5cm in diameter. The surface is pale yellow-brown or light brown, with irregular longitudinal wrinkles or grooves. It is hard and tough, not easily broken, with strong fibrous texture, and exhibits a powdery texture. The bark is yellow-white, and the wood is light yellow, with radial patterns and cracks. In old roots, the center may appear decayed, black-brown, or hollow. It has a faint odor and a slightly sweet taste, with a slight bean-like flavor when chewed.
Related Combinations:
1. Astragalus Root with Ginseng: Astragalus root invigorates qi and raises yang, while ginseng nourishes primordial qi and generates fluid to alleviate thirst, focusing on tonifying and strengthening. This combination is mutually reinforcing and is an important pairing for sweet-warm qi tonics. It is suitable for fatigue, reduced appetite, and spontaneous sweating due to qi deficiency.
2. Astragalus Root with Aconite: Astragalus root invigorates qi and raises yang, while aconite rescues yang to prevent collapse and warms the kidney to assist yang. This combination enhances the warming and tonifying effects, consolidates the exterior, and stops sweating. It is suitable for those with deficiency of qi sinking downwards and deficiency of yang, manifesting as sweating with aversion to wind, difficult urination, and heavy and numb limbs.
3. Astragalus Root with White Atractylodes: Astragalus root invigorates qi and strengthens the spleen, while white atractylodes strengthens the spleen and benefits qi. This combination enhances the effects of tonifying qi and strengthening the spleen. It is suitable for fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and laziness due to deficiency of qi and weakness of the spleen.
4. Astragalus Root with Chinese Angelica: Astragalus root supplements the qi and blood of the spleen and lungs, while Chinese angelica nourishes the blood of the heart and liver. This combination enhances the effect of supplementing qi and nourishing blood. It is suitable for fatigue, internal injuries, redness of the face, restlessness, thirst, weak and laborious pulse, and deficiencies of qi and blood.
5. Astragalus Root with Radix Clematidis: Astragalus root is sweet and warm, invigorating qi and raising yang, while Radix Clematidis is pungent, sweet, and slightly cold, dispersing wind to the exterior and lifting yang. This combination enhances the effect of raising yang and lifting prolapse. It is suitable for conditions of deficiency with prolapse, such as menorrhagia, rectal prolapse, and uterine prolapse.
6. Astragalus Root with Saposhnikovia Divaricata: Astragalus root invigorates qi and consolidates the exterior, while Saposhnikovia divaricata disperses wind and releases the exterior. This combination allows Astragalus root to tonify qi throughout the body without being obstructed by wind-dispelling effects, and Saposhnikovia divaricata to disperse wind without losing the ability to consolidate the exterior. It is suitable for those with deficiency experiencing limb soreness and aversion to wind.
7. Astragalus Root with Cinnamon Twig: Astragalus root invigorates qi and promotes blood circulation, while cinnamon twig warms the channels and promotes blood circulation. This combination enhances the effect of supplementing qi, promoting blood circulation, and warming the channels. It is suitable for those with deficiency of qi and blood, muscle pain, and numbness of the shoulders and arms.
