Sichuan lovage
Ligusticum striatum

Family: Apiaceae

What it is like

A herb. It creeps growing from year to year. It has a strong aroma. It grows 30-60 cm high. The rootstocks are yellow-brown. They have several winter buds. These develop aerial shoots. There are leaves at the base and on the stalk. The leaves are compound. They have 3 sets of compound leaflets. They are triangle in outline and 12-15 cm long by 10-15 cm wide. There are 4-5 pairs of smaller leaflets. The flowers are small and white. They are in compound groups made up of male and female flowers.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in shady slopes in forests between 1,500-3,700 m above sea level. It grows in Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Nepal

How it is used for food

The rootstocks are dried then sliced thinly and used in dishes.

Edible parts

Roots, leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Chuan xiong

Synonyms

Ligusticum chuanxiong S. H. Qiu, Y. Q. Zeng, K. Y. Pan, Y. C.Tang & J. M. Xu; Ligusticum wallichii Franch.; and others