【中藥材小知識】 甘草 Gancao

 【名稱】        甘草       

【拼音】        Gancao

【英文】        Liquorice Root

【拉丁】        Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma

【類別】        根及根莖類

【來源】        豆科植物甘草Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.的乾燥根及根莖。

【產地】        主產於內蒙古、山西、甘肅、新疆、寧夏等地。

【性狀】        圓柱形，外皮鬆緊不一。表面紅棕色或灰棕色，具顯著的縱皺紋、溝紋、皮孔及稀疏的細根痕。質堅實，斷面略顯纖維性，黃白色，粉性。根莖表面有芽痕，斷面中部有髓。氣微，味甜而特殊。飲片為斜切片。

【品質】        以皮細緊、色紅棕、質堅實、斷面色黃白、粉性足者為佳。

【性味】        甘，平。

【功效】        益氣補中，清熱解毒，祛痰止咳，緩急止痛，調和藥性。

【炙品】        炙甘草：類圓形或橢圓形切片，表面紅棕色或灰棕色，微有光澤，切面黃色至深黃色，質稍黏，具焦香氣，味甜。性味甘、平。補脾和胃，益氣複脈。

【注解】        “菊花心”： 指藥材斷面維管束與較窄的射線相間排列，呈放射狀紋理，形似開放的菊花。

Chinese Name 甘草       

ChinesePinyin：Gancao

English Name：Liquorice Root

Latin Pharmaceutical Name：Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma

Category Roots and rhizomes

Origin：The dried root and rhizome of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.(Fabaceae).

Production Regions Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Gansu, Xinjiang, Ningxia.

Macroscopic Features：Cylindrical, outer skin unevenly tight. Externally reddish-brown or grayish-brown, with obvious longitudinal wrinkles, grooves, lenticels and loose thin scars of root. Firm texture; fractured surface is slightly fibrous, yellowish-white and powdery. Rhizome surface has scars of bud; fractured surface has pith in the center. faint odor; sweet and distinctive taste. Pieces are angle-cut slices.

Quality Requirements：Superior medicinal material has tight outer skin, reddish-brwon color, firm texture, yellowish-white fractured surface and powdery.

Properties：Sweet; neutral

Functions Supplements the spleen, boosts qi, clears heat, resolves toxin, dispels phlegm, relieves cough, relaxes tension, relieves pain, harmonizes the nature of other medicinals.

Processed Form：Processed gan cao: Sub-spherical or oval slice, externally reddish-brown or grayish-brown, slightly lustrous; cut surface is yellow to dark yellow. Slightly sticky texture, with burnt smells; sweet taste. Sweet and neutral property. Supplements spleen and stomach, boosts qi and recovers pulse.

Technical Terms'Chrysanthemum center’: This refers to radial lines seen on the cut surface of medicinal material that appear similar to an open chrysanthemum flower, also called ‘chrysanthemum lines (ju hua wen)’.