Drug Solomonseal, Hopiqdyuqdyuq
Polygonatum officinale

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

An evergreen herb. It grows 20-50 cm high. The roots are yellow. They grow horizontally and have many branches. The stem is red. The leaves are red at the edges. They are 4-6 cm long by 1.5-2 cm wide. They have 3 easy to see veins. The upper surface is green and underneath is pale green. The flowers occur singly or in pairs. They are whitish-green. The fruit are round and dark blue in colour.

There are about 50 Polygonatum species. It is used in medicine. Chemical composition: contains fructose, glucose and arabinose. Also put in the family Convallariaceae.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Europe, Indochina, Manchuria, Myanmar, North America, SE Asia, Siberia

How it is used for food

The leaves and rhizomes are milled and eaten. The roots can be boiled or fried. CAUTION: The rhizome may be toxic. The fruit are eaten fresh or dried. (They should not be eaten in large amounts) The young shoots can be boiled fro s short time and eaten like asparagus shoots. The flowers can be steamed or eaten with salads.

Edible parts

Leaves, rhizomes, roots

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

See Polygonatum odoratum;