Saposhnikovia


Saposhnikovia divaricata, known as fángfēng in Chinese, bangpung in Korean, and siler in English, is the sole species in the genus Saposhnikovia. The plant is still frequently referenced under the obsolete genus name Ledebouriella in many online sources devoted to traditional Chinese medicine.

Publication of binomial

Saposhnikovia divaricata Schischkin in Schischkin, Boris & Fl. URSS. 17 : 54. 1951.
Described originally under the name Stenocoelium divaricatum by Nikolai Turczaninow in Bull. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 17 : 734. in the year 1844.

Description

Glabrous, much-branched, perennial herb, arising from branched, annular, tuberous rootstock up to 2 cm thick, with crown surrounded by fibrous, remnant, sheathing bases of petioles. Height 30–100 cm. Basal leaves numerous, petioles flattened with ovate sheaths, 2 - 6.5 cm in length; leaf-blades oblong-ovate to broad-ovate, up to 35 x 18 cm, bi- to tripinnatifid, pinnae 3 - 4 pairs, petiolulate, terminal lobes lanceolate, 3-lobed at apex. Upper leaves simplified with sheathing petioles, reduced upwards, often absent, leading to aphyllous branching. Umbels compound, devoid of involucral bracts, rays 5-9, bracteoles 4-5, pedicels 4-9, flowers white or yellow, petals circa 1.5mm. Mericarps broadly ovate to oblong, flat, up to 5 x 3mm, tuberculate when young but becoming smooth at maturity, lateral ribs winged. Flowering August–September and fruiting September–October.

Habitat

Grassy and stony slopes, 400-800m. Margins of rice paddies, roadsides and waste places.

Range

Saposhnikovia divaricata is found, in China, in the provinces of Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hunan, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning. The plant also occurs in Russia, Mongolia, Korea and Japan.

Harvesting

Most of the plants harvested are collected in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia and Hebei. The tuberous rootstocks are harvested in early spring or late autumn washed, trimmed of basal leaves and fibrous roots, sun-dried until they contain 20% moisture, shredded and then sun-dried again until completely desiccated and ready for storage.

Phytochemistry

The roots and seeds of Saposhnikovia divaricata contain a variety of phytochemicals under basic research, including furocoumarins, furanochromones, polyacetylenes, hyperosides and terpenes. The major components of the essential oil from roots of S. divaricata are caryophyllene oxide, sabinene, α- and β-pinene, myrtenal, myrtenol, α-terpineol, p-cymene and nonanoic acid.