Tienchi ginseng
Panax notoginseng
Family: Araliaceae
What it is like
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 20-60 cm tall. The rootstock is fleshy and there can be several spindle shaped roots. There are 3-6 leaves. They are in a ring at the top of the stem. They are compound and divided like fingers on a hand. The leaflets are broadly oval and 4-13 cm long by 2-7 cm wide. There are teeth along the edge. The flowers are on stalks from a common point forming a group of 80-100 flowers. The stalk is 7-25 cm long. The fruit are red and flattened. They are 1 cm across.
It has anticancer properties.
Where it is found
It is a subtropical plant. It grows in forests between 1,200-1,800 m above sea level. In Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, SE Asia, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The dried roots are eaten in soups.
Edible parts
Roots, flowers
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Sanchi ginseng, Thin chat