[Identification of Traditional Chinese Medicine] Detailed identification of Fangfeng

Fangfeng is the dry root of Fangfeng, an Umbelliferae plant, mainly produced in Northeast China and the eastern part of Inner Mongolia. The medicinal material is commonly known as "Guanfangfeng". It is warm in nature, bitter and pungent in taste, and has the effects of relieving superficial symptoms, dispelling wind and dampness.

The root of the windbreaker is long cylindrical, tapering at the lower part, and some are slightly curved. It is 15 to 30 cm long and about 0.5 to 2 cm in diameter. There are obvious dense ring patterns on the root head, which is commonly called "earthworm head". Some of the ring patterns have brown hairy remaining leaf bases. The surface is grey-brown, rough, with longitudinal wrinkles, many long transverse lenticels and punctate raised fine root marks. The body is light, loose, easy to break, the cross-section is uneven, the skin is light brown with cracks, scattered yellow-brown oil spots, and the xylem is light yellow, so it is called "chrysanthemum heart". It has a peculiar smell and a slightly sweet taste. The best ones are those with thick strips, light brown skin and light yellow wood in the cross-section.

According to the survey, in addition to genuine windproof, there are also mixed varieties, so you should pay attention to distinguish them when using them. For example, Sichuan Fangfeng, produced in Sichuan, has small roots, many root marks on the surface, brown or gray-black, light body, hard and brittle. There is no earthworm head. There is a brown-yellow link-shaped leaf remnant on the root head, so Also known as "Bamboo Fangfeng", it has a slight odor and light taste; Yunfangfeng, produced in Yunnan, has slender roots, a flat surface, gray-brown or yellow-brown, with dense longitudinal wrinkles, is light, soft, and easy to break. There are no earthworm heads, chrysanthemum hearts, etc. It has a fragrant smell and a slightly pungent and astringent taste. It is also called "bamboo leaf windbreak". In addition, in the Shaanxi-Gansu region, the roots of Lantana umbelliferae are still used as windbreak medicine, which is called northwest small windbreak or Huaian small windbreak; in Xingyang, Henan, Sishui windbreak and Mingshui windbreak are still used as medicine; in some areas of Yunnan, lip-shaped windbreak is still used. It is a whole-herb medicine of Hydrangea parsnip, Apiaceae apricot leaf parsnips and Asteraceae small bamboo leaf parsnips. All of the above have different effects from genuine windbreak medicinal materials and should not be mixed.