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The epimedium leaf used today is the Berberidaceae plant epimedium leaf Epimedium brevicornum Maxim., arrow leaf epimedium leaf Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb.et Zucc.) Maxim., pilose epimedium leaf Epimedium pubescens Maxim., Wushan epimedium leaf Epimedium wushanense T.S.Ying, or The dry above-ground parts of epimedium leaf Epimedium koreanum Nakai. Epimedium leaf is mainly produced in the northwest and Shanxi, Henan and other provinces; arrow leaf epimedium leaf is mainly produced in Sichuan, Hubei, Zhejiang, and is also produced in Hunan, Anhui and other places; pilose epimedium leaf is mainly produced in Sichuan, and is also produced in Shaanxi and Hubei. Output; Wushan epimedium leaf is mainly produced in Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Guizhou; Korean epimedium leaf is mainly produced in Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang.

materia medica Research believes that: starting from Shennong Bencao Jing, epimedium leaf is mainly a plant of the genus Epimedium in the Berberidaceae family, but the specific varieties vary depending on the place of origin. The earliest recorded origin of epimedium leaf in ancient times was Shangjun, which is now the Yulin area of ​​Shaanxi Province. Its variety may be epimedium leaf Epimedium brevicornum Maxim. In addition, Sichuan, Henan and other provinces also have clear records in ancient documents of the production of authentic epimedium leaf used today.

【Variety Review】

Epimedium leaf is named mainly because of its efficacy. Bencao Jing called it "the main influence, one is just before". Tao Hong-jing explained the reason for its name: "Taking this makes people good. yin-yang. There is epimedium leaf in the northern part of Xichuan, which can lid together hundreds of times a day. It is caused by eating grasshoppers, so it is called epimedium leaf." This thing was also called "Epimedium Herb" in the Tang Dynasty, and was also called "Xianlingbi". Liu Zongyuan had a species. The poem of Immortal Spirit Pi says:

Poor and self-supporting, pestilent qi is noisy. In the middle of winter, there is no frost and graupel, and the sun and evening are wind-warmth. The stick is hanging under the court, and the heel is trailing through the deficient door. There are noda officials at the door to comfort my wandering soul. It is said that there is a magic medicine, which is close to the plains of western Hunan. If you don't take it for ten days, you will be in trouble. I am an official in front of my smile and anger, and I am rooting for me. Weiwei then filled the court, and the beauty suddenly became numerous. I pick it by myself in the morning and expose it, and the pestle and mortar make noise all night long. The spirit and principles are hidden inside, and attacking diseases comes from their source. Support and escape the fog, stretch and relax. If you can accomplish extraordinary feats, you would rather return to Lansun. I heard the magic of abnormal people, and I was in a state of anger all night long. It can make you take a deep breath and return your breath. It is difficult to be effective if it is sparse and solid, and it is treated with medicine and bait. A weak person does not forget to remember, and a poor person would rather repeat it. God is there to help me, and I am lucky enough to have my children running.

According to Volume 230 of the "Three Dynasties Beimeng Huibian" of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty had no heirs, and the imperial physician Wang Jixian "tried to persuade him to take Epimedium Herb, also known as epimedium leaf. Although it strengthens Yang, taking it for a long time will not work." This can be It proves that the effects of epimedium leaf recorded in the past are mainly tonifying yang, and modern research has also confirmed that Epimedium plants contain epimedium leaf glycosides, which indeed have the effect of promoting gonadal function, and most plants of this genus have three compound leaves. It is similar to bean leaves, hence the name epimedium leaf. From this we know that this product has been mainly used by plants of this genus in ancient and modern times.

However, there are many types of plants in the genus Epimidium, and they are used differently in different periods or in different regions. Mingyi Bielu said: "The epimedium leaf grows in the Yangshan Valley of Shangjun." Shangjun is now the Yulin area of ​​Shaanxi Province. Considering the geographical distribution, the epimedium leaf mentioned in the book is likely to be the epimedium leaf Epimedium brevicornum of the Berberidaceae family. . "Xinxiu" says: "The leaves are shaped like adzuki beans, round and thin, and the stems are thin and strong. This is the common name of Epimedium Herb." In the Tang Dynasty Taoist book "Chun Yang Zhenren Yao Shi Zhi", it is also mentioned that epimedium leaf is a round leaf: "The leaves are round and thin. Evergreen Mountain, suitable for use in summer and can be cellar-dried." This most likely refers to epimedium leaf Epimedium elongatum Komar. with blunt-round leaves in western Sichuan. This species may have been a genuine epimedium leaf in the Tang Dynasty, but is rarely used for medicinal purposes today.

Bencao Tujing says: "The leaves are green like apricot leaves, with thorns on them, and the stems are like foxtail millet stalks. The roots are purple and bearded. White flowers bloom in April, and there are also purple broken small single-headed flowers. Leaves are collected and dried in the moonlight. Those grown from Huxiang have leaves like adzuki beans, branches and leaves that are tight and thin, and do not wither through the winter. The roots are like Golden Thread, which is called three-branched nine-leaf grass in Guanzhong. The seedlings are about one or two feet tall, with both roots and leaves. ." "Zheng Class" shows two kinds of epimedium leaf medicinal pictures. Among them, Yongkangjun epimedium leaf is indeed a plant of the genus Epimidium, but the species is difficult to determine, while the Yizhou epimedium leaf picture has alternate leaves, odd-pinnate compound leaves, and 5 leaflets. It is not similar to Epimidium in the Berberidaceae family. Mr. Xie Zongwan believes that this was "a foreign product with the same name at that time. No such similar product has been found in Shandong recently, indicating that it cannot withstand the long-term test of history and has been eliminated." ." That makes sense.

Jiuhuang Bencao Epimedium Herb: "It is also found in the mountains and fields of Mi County today. The seedlings are about two feet high. The stems are like small bean stems, very thin and tight. The leaves are like apricot leaves and quite long. There is a gap near the pedicle. They are also like mung beans. The leaves are also long and bright. They bloom in a short period of time. They are white and also have purple flowers. It has a small single-headed seed with purple roots and a golden thread shape." The description specifically mentions that its leaflets "have a defect near the pedicle." Combined with the picture of the medicine (Figure 1), this should refer to the genuine product used today. Epimedium leaf Epimidium sagittatum.

As for the later "Pinhui Essence" and Bencao Gangmu, the descriptions of epimedium leaf plants are mostly conventional. They can only be roughly confirmed to be plants of the genus Epimedium, which is not helpful for research on varieties. , as Li Shi-zhen said: "Growing in the mountains, there are several stems. The stems are as thick as threads and one or two feet high. One stem has three branches and one branch has three leaves. The leaves are two or three inches long, such as apricot leaves and Bean weed has a light face and a pale back, very thin, finely toothed, and slightly thorny." His remarks were almost a compilation of descriptions from "Illustrations" and "Relief of Famine", and we even suspect that Li may not have actually observed this plant.

In addition to the above-mentioned literature, Diannan Bencao said: "Epimedium leaf, Xingyang grass, grows in the mountains, with moon-white green leaves, frost on them, thorns on the edges, and roots like a penis." Zhiwu Mingshi Tukao Volume 8 also says: "It is also produced in Dali Prefecture, Yunnan." According to the drawing in "Illustrations", it should be Baoxing epimedium leaf Epimidium davidi Franch. Ryukyu Wu Jizhi's "Questioning Materia Medica" draws a picture of epimedium leaf. Mr. Xie Zongwan believes that it is a large-flowered epimedium leaf mainly produced in Japan and Ryukyu, and it is not a legal variety in the current Pharmacopoeia.

【Evolution of Authentic】

The origins of medicinal epimedium leaf recorded in ancient documents are almost all over the country, and the above county, which is now the Yulin area of ​​Shaanxi Province, is the earliest. The mainstream variety of epimedium leaf used in the Tang Dynasty may be the round-leaf epimedium leaf Epimidium elongatum in western Sichuan, but Liu Zongyuan and Yuan were quoted earlier The poem "Zhong Xian Ling Bi" written in the fourth year (809) can be regarded as the earliest record of epimedium leaf cultivation. Its cultivation place was in Yongzhou, which is now Yongzhou City, Hunan Province.

Bencao Tujing in the Song Dynasty mentioned the origin of epimedium leaf: "It can be found in Jiangdong, Shaanxi, Taishan, Hanzhong, and Huxiang." The medicine map specifically depicts epimedium leaf in Yongkang Army (today's Sichuan). Dujiangyan City, Shandong Province) and Yizhou (now Linyi City, Shandong Province) are represented by epimedium leaf. Since the attached illustration proves that the epimedium leaf in Yizhou is not a plant of the genus Epimedium, Sichuan may have been an important epimedium leaf production area at that time.

Pin Hui Jing Yao and Bencao Gangmu of the Ming Dynasty did not discover the origin of epimedium leaf, while "Relief from Famine" suggested that epimedium leaf was distributed in Mi County, Henan at that time. This can be As the basis for GAP base construction. As for the Baoxing epimedium leaf produced in Yunnan mentioned in "Southern Yunnan" and "Tukao", as well as non-legal varieties in other areas, unless they are used as raw materials for extracting epimedium leaf glycosides, large-scale cultivation is generally not recommended.