Er bao huang jing
Polygonatum involucratum

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

A herb. It has rhizomes or underground stems. These are 3-5 mm thick. The stem arches over. It is 20-50 cm high. There are 4-7 leaves which are alternate. The leaf stalk is short. The leaf blade is broadly oval and 5-10 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. The base is rounded. The flowering stalks has 2 flowers. The flowers hang downwards. The fruit is a berry. It is about 1 cm across and has 7 or 8 seeds.

There are about 50 Polygonatum species. Also put in the family Convallariaceae.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in forests in shaded and moist places between 700-1400 m altitude in N China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Japan, Korea, Russia

How it is used for food

The rhizomes are cleaned, parboiled, drained and partially dried and rubbed between the hands. It is the sliced and cooked with other foods. The sprouts are also eaten raw in salads or pickled. They are also fried or blanched and added to soups.

Edible parts

Leaves, root

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Periballanthus involucratus Franchet & Savatier; Polygonatum platyphyllum Franchet;