The difference between Bupleurum chinense and Bupleurum chinense

Most people are not familiar with the two foods that can be used as both food and medicine, Bupleurum chinense and Scutellaria baicalensis. Only those who are more familiar with health-preserving medicinal food or medicine know about these two things. Although they are not common, their functions and effects are indeed great. So, what is the difference between Bupleurum chinense and Scutellaria baicalensis? What are their effects and functions?

The difference between Bupleurum chinense and Scutellaria baicalensis

Northern Bupleurum, also known as Bamboo Leaf Bupleurum and Scutellaria baicalensis. There is actually no difference between it and Scutellaria baicalensis, and the one that is more different between the two is actually Scutellaria baicalensis. Although both are plants of the Scutellariae family, the difference between the two is still quite large. Southern Scutellaria baicalensis, also known as narrow-leaved Scutellaria baicalensis and red Bupleurum. Both are plants of the Umbelliferae family, and their roots are used as medicine, which have the effects of tonifying deficiency and harmonizing the interior, generating yang, soothing the liver, regulating qi and relieving blood stasis. Because the two plants are very similar in shape, it is easy to confuse them in production.

Northern Bupleurum is cylindrical or long-conical, 6 to 15 cm long and 0.3 to 0.8 cm in diameter. The root head is swollen, with 3 to 15 stem bases or short fibrous leaf bases remaining on the top, and branches growing below. The surface is dark brown or light coffee color, with longitudinal wrinkles, rootlet marks and lenticels. It is hard and tough, not easy to break, with a fibrous cross section, light brown bark and yellowish white wood. It has a slight fragrance and tastes a bit bitter.

The main stem of Bupleurum chinense is thick and hard, with dark red or dark brown epidermis. There are often very few taproots. The stems are scattered or single, with many branches at the top, slightly bent in a "Z" shape. There are no fibrous leaf stem residues at the stem tip. The stem leaves of Bupleurum chinense are oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, the middle leaves are oblanceolate, with 7 to 9 parallel veins and a leaf width of 6 to 16 mm.

From the above content, we can clearly understand that Northern Bupleurum is Scutellaria baicalensis, and there is no difference between the two. It's just that some people like to call Scutellaria baicalensis Northern Bupleurum, which is mainly to distinguish it from Southern Scutellaria baicalensis.