The difference between Tusanqi and Panax notoginseng

When people mention Yunnan, they will not only think of the beautiful scenery but also the simple Miao people. It is well known that Yunnan is a hometown of medicine. There are many Chinese herbal medicines in Yunnan, and the most famous one is Panax notoginseng. The effects of the three phases are relatively powerful. Although there is only one character difference between Tu Sanqi and Sanqi, Sanqi is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that can be used as medicine and has extremely high medicinal value, while Tu Sanqi is a plant.

1. Differences in drug names

Other names of Panax notoginseng: Sedum notoginseng, drought notoginseng, blood mountain grass, June shower, scorpion grass, chrysanthemum Panax notoginseng, grass Panax notoginseng, and Panax notoginseng grass.

Other names of Panax notoginseng: Panax notoginseng, Panax notoginseng, mountain lacquer, ginseng notoginseng, southern magic grass, king of ginseng, and jewelweed.

2. Differences in family and genus origins

Notoginseng: A plant of the Crassulaceae family, it is distributed in provinces and regions in Northeast, North, Northwest China and the Yangtze River Basin; it is also distributed in North Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Russia and Vietnam.

Panax notoginseng: The dried root of Panax notoginseng, a plant of the Araliaceae family, is mainly produced in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It is also grown in small quantities in Tianyang, Jingxi and Baise, Guangxi Province, but the quality is often inferior to that produced in Wenshan. The output is also the largest in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, accounting for more than 90% of the total output value.

3. Differences in properties

Notoginseng: Perennial herb, likes the sun, is drought-resistant, salt-alkali-resistant, and has strong vitality. It grows on the edge of mountain forests, under forests, in shrubs, or in grasslands and gravel areas. The stem is cylindrical, 30 to 50 cm long, dark brown or purple-brown on the surface; brittle, easy to break, and hollow in cross section. The leaves are wrinkled and often fall off, alternate or nearly opposite, and become oblanceolate when flattened. The flowers are yellow. Root cylindrical or slightly conical. It is not easy to dry. After drying, the texture is loose, dark brown, and the surface is uneven and cracked.

Panax notoginseng: A perennial herb that prefers shade to sun (which is also where its name comes from). It is delicate by nature and cannot tolerate cold or heat. It has strict requirements on the altitude, soil, climate, and latitude of its growing area. The plant is 60 cm tall, with an upright stem and palmate compound leaves, with 3 to 4 leaves whorled at the top of the stem and fine serrations on the edges. The peduncle emerges from the center of the top of the stem. The flowers are green and umbrella-shaped, turning red when mature. They are berry-like and can be sown. The taproot is conical or cylindrical, and the surface varies depending on the color of the soil in the planting area. Common colors are earthy red and gray-brown (after brushing it clean, its original color is green). The main body has root scars, a stem scar at the top, and tumor-like protrusions around it. It is solid, with gray-green or yellow-brown cross-section, and slightly radially arranged cross-sections. It is commonly known as chrysanthemum heart, and the bark and wood are relatively easy to separate.