Taoist goat shen
Cynanchum otophyllum
Family: Apocynaceae
What it is like
A vine. It has milky sap. It keeps growing from year to year. It has tufts of cylinder shaped roots. These are greyish-black on the outside. They are 8 mm across. The leaves are broadly sword shaped and 7-10 cm long by 4-8 cm wide. They taper to the tip and are heart shaped at the base. They have a grey covering on both surfaces. The flowers are white. They are in clusters in the axils of leaves. The fruit are long follicles 8 cm long by 1 cm wide. The seeds are oval.
The roots are used in medicine.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It grows in south-western China on grassy hillsides between 1,400-2,800 m altitude. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Tibet
How it is used for food
The root is boiled with pork.
Edible parts
Root
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Qing yang shen