中药续断原植物研究

围绕中药续断原植物问题,进行了调查研究,查明中药续断的原植物主要是一种,过去多定为Dipsacus asper Wall.,现改正为D.asperoides C.Y.Cheng et T.M.Ai,sp.nov.。另外深紫续断D.atropurpureus c.Y.Cheng et T.T.Yin,sp.nov。在川东地区也少量进入药材续断中。同产区有近似种涪陵续断D.fulingensis C.Y.Cheng et T.M.Ai,sp.nov.则不入药。此外一直称为续断的日本续断D.Japonicus Miq.查明因根部木化一般不做中药续断用。

AN INVESTIGATION ON THE BOTANICAL ORIGIN OF THE CHINESE TRADITIONAL DRUG XU-DUAN

The Chinese traditional drug, Xu-duan (Hsu-duan) has been reported through years being the root of either Dipsacus asper Wall. or D. japonicus Miq. Problems aroused by recent investigations are: (1)Is it really the Indian species D.asper extending into SW China and furnishing the Xu-duan root? (2) Does the above mentioned the only source of Xu-duan or the other species, D. japonicus, also yields the Xuduan root?To answer these questions, the junior author, T. M. Ai made field explorations in the main production area to collect the plants with the medicinal parts. He also inspected the crude drugs of the market and consulted the institutes for drug control in Hubei and Sichuan. Conclusions came out as follows: (1) The best quality Xu-duan is produced in W. Hubei, and the sole source is an undescribed plant which has been misidentified as D. asper Wall. in the past half century, and now described here as Dipsacus asperoides Cheng et Ai, sp. nov. This new plant differs from D. asper in having bracteoles with longer mucron, involucel furrowed and corolla tube with a slender tubular base (f. 1,A: a,a'). (2) A species from SE Sichuan which is almost identical with D. asperoides in vegetative appearance, but possesses dark purple flowers with different floral structure, is described here as D. atropurpureus Cheng et Yin, **sp. nov. Its roots are sometimes used as Xu-duan in small scale. There is another species with purple flowers distributed in the same area as D. atropurpureus, D. fulingensis Cheng et Ai, sp. nov. Its roots, however, are fibrous and hard, and not fit for medicinal use. (3)Dipsacus japonicus Miq. with its spiny habit and pinkish flowers, though widely distributed in China,has never been used as Xu-duan due to the fact that its roots are dry and exceedingly hard in texture.