Identification of medicinal plants used as Tibetan Traditional Medicine Jie-Ji

Aim of the study

Based on the authors’ collection of specimens used as Jie-Ji in local Tibetan areas, China, and taxonomic determination, this paper aims to give a list of medicinal plants as Jie-Ji, formally identify the ones recognized as Jie-Ji Ga-Bao or Jie-Ji Na-Bao and to offer basic data for further studies on these Tibetan herbs.

Materials and methods

Local herbalists were visited in Tibetan areas, China to observe which plants were being used as Jie-Ji. Samples of the indigenous plants were collected at the same time. Also, the medicinal plants as Jie-Ji were taxonomically identified.

Results

A list of medicinal plants including 10 species of Jie-Ji in local Tibetan areas is given, including their morphological pictures used for identification.

Conclusions

The origin of Jie-Ji is from 10 species of the Section Cruciata, Genus Gentiana (Gentianaceae). five species with dark blue flowers are used as Jie-Ji Na-Bao, the other five with white flowers are used as Jie-Ji Ga-Bao. Also, Gentiana macrophylla Pall. with dark blue flowers in the Section Cruciata, Genus Gentiana is not the original plant of Jie-Ji Na-Bao. The species endemic to the province are used as the original plants of Jie-Ji only in local Tibetan area of the province. Finally, the drug use of Jie-Ji in Traditional Tibetan Medicine is reasonable and it is efficacious.