bubble_chart Content

Currently, Coptis Rhizome is used as the dried rhizome of the Ranunculaceae plants Coptis chinensis Franch., Coptis deltoidea C. Y. Cheng et Hsiao, and Coptis teeta Wall. These varieties are commercially known as "Weilian", "Yalian", and "Yunlian" respectively. Weilian is further divided into two categories: South Bank Lian and North Bank Lian. South Bank Lian is mainly produced in Shizhu and Nanchuan of Chongqing, and Laifeng, Enshi, Jianshi, Lichuan, and Xuan'en of Hubei. North Bank Lian is mainly produced in Chengkou, Wushan, and Wuxi of Chongqing, and Fangxian, Badong, and Zhuxi of Hubei. Additionally, it is also produced in Shaanxi, Hunan, Guizhou, and Gansu. Yalian is mainly produced in Emei, Hongya, Leshan, and Leibo of Sichuan. Yunlian is mainly produced in Deqin, Weixi, Tengchong, and Bijiang of Yunnan.

Materia medica research suggests that the ancient use of authentic Coptis Rhizome was almost exclusively from the Ranunculaceae Coptis genus. Although the history of Sichuan-produced Coptis Rhizome can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, from the Six Dynasties to the early Northern Song Dynasty, due to the advocacy of materia medica experts that Coptis Rhizome should be of the type with bead-like nodes, Coptis chinensis Franch. var. brevisepala W. T. Wang et Hsiao became the mainstream medicinal variety, with Xuancheng in Anhui as the authentic production area. By the Song Dynasty, the Yalian and Weilian from Sichuan gradually regained their status as authentic products. As for Yunlian, it was first recorded in Diannan Bencao, and wild Yunlian has always been a local customary product with a small yield, generally considered to be less potent than Sichuan-produced ones.

bubble_chart Variety identification and authentic evolution

Coptis Rhizome was first recorded in Bencao Jing, also known as Wanglian. Guangya states: "Coptis Rhizome, also known as Wanglian." Bencao Gangmu explains its name: "Its roots are bead-like and yellow, hence the name." According to Bencao Jing: "Long-term use enhances memory," and Tao states: "The way of taking medicine leads to longevity." Therefore, Liu Song Wang Wei's "Coptis Rhizome Praise" states: "Jinyun once ruled, flying to the heavens," and the "Later Han Dynasty·Biographies of Fangshu" quotes "The Inner Biography of Emperor Wu of Han": "Feng Junda, a native of Longxi, took Coptis Rhizome for over fifty years." Later generations mainly used Coptis Rhizome for the middle jiao dampness-heat, dysentery diarrhea, rarely mentioning its tonic effects.

Ancient use of authentic Coptis Rhizome was almost exclusively from the Ranunculaceae Coptis genus, but due to the generally brief morphological descriptions and rough illustrations in materia medica, the variety could only be roughly inferred based on the production area. Therefore, the "variety identification" and "authentic evolution" of Coptis Rhizome are combined into one entry.

During the Han and Jin periods, Bashu was the main production area of Coptis Rhizome. Fanzi Jiran states: "Coptis Rhizome comes from Shu County, the yellow and firm ones are good." Jin Zuo Si's "Shu Capital Fu" states: "Fenglian spreads over the orchid hills," where Fenglian refers to Coptis Rhizome, and spreading describes its lush growth. Liu Kui notes: "Fenglian comes from Min Mountain, also known as Guangdu Mountain," located in today's Shuangliu County, Sichuan. Bielu also mentions: "Coptis Rhizome grows in the valleys of Wuyang and Shu County, and Taishan." The variety from Taishan is unknown, Wuyang is today's Wushan in Chongqing, and the Coptis Rhizome produced there should be Coptis chinensis, while that from Shu County should mainly be Coptis deltoidea.

However, starting from Tao Hong-jing until the late Tang and early Song dynasties, there was a greater emphasis on Coptis Rhizome produced in the south. The "Jizhu" states: "Nowadays, those from the west are light in color and deficient, while those from Dongyang and Xin'an counties are the best." Although the "Xinxiu" attempts to reconcile by saying: "Those from the Shu region are large and have flat nodes, with an extremely strong bitter taste, and are the best for treating thirst. Those from Jiangdong have nodes like a string of pearls and are excellent for treating dysentery, and those from Lizhou are even better." According to the "Qianjin Yifang," the regions producing Coptis Rhizome include Wuzhou, Muzhou, Shezhou, and Jianzhou in the Jiangnan East Circuit; Xuanzhou and Raozhou in the Jiangnan West Circuit; and Zhezhou in the Jiannan Circuit. Except for Zhezhou, which is in present-day Lixian, Sichuan, the rest are all in the south. Furthermore, according to the "New Book of Tang: Geography," there are six prefectures that offered Coptis Rhizome as tribute, almost all of which are in the south. These include Chuzhou Jinyun Prefecture (present-day Lishui, Zhejiang), Wuzhou Dongyang Prefecture (present-day Jinhua, Zhejiang), Xuanzhou Xuancheng Prefecture (present-day Xuancheng, Anhui), Shezhou Xin'an Prefecture (present-day Huizhou, Anhui), Chenzhou Luxi Prefecture (present-day Yuanling, Hunan), and Shizhou Qinghua Prefecture (present-day Enshi, Hubei). Other materia medica literature from the Tang and Five Dynasties periods also advocate for the superiority of southern products. The "Sisheng Materia Medica" states: "Coptis Rhizome from Xuanzhou is now considered the best, with Dongyang also producing good quality, and Shezhou and Chuzhou producing slightly inferior quality." Even the "Shu Bencao" mentions: "The plant resembles tea, with yellow flowers growing in clusters, each stem bearing three leaves, about a foot tall, and does not wither in winter. Those from Jiangzuo have high nodes like a string of pearls, while those from Shudu do not have such nodes. Nowadays, those from Qin and Hangzhou, Liuzhou are considered excellent."

Among the above place names, except for the possibility that the one from Shizhou Qinghua County is Coptis chinensis, the one from Jiannan Dao Zhezhu may be Coptis deltoidea, or the Emei wild Coptis Coptis omeiensis (Chen) C. Y. Cheng, those from the south are not these species. We note that Tao Hong-jing particularly emphasized that the medicinal material "Coptis Rhizome" should be "wrapped in cloth, rubbed to remove the hair, and made like a string of beads." Both "Xin Xiu" and "Shu Bencao" mention that those from the south have "sections like a string of beads," and regret that those produced in Sichuan do not have this feature. In other words, at that time, whether the rhizome of Coptis Rhizome was bead-like was a criterion for judging its quality. Perhaps Tao and Su felt that the yellow color and bead-like shape of the rhizome better fit the original meaning of the name "Coptis Rhizome." This bead-like Coptis Rhizome is actually what is now called "Tu Coptis Rhizome" in East China, and its original plant is Coptis chinensis Franch. var. brevisepala W. T. Wang et Hsiao.

This criterion of judging the quality of Coptis Rhizome by the presence of beads still existed in the Song Dynasty but gradually faded, and the status of Sichuan Coptis Rhizome improved. "Kaibao Bencao" still considered the one from Xuanzhou, which is "nine-sectioned, hard, heavy, and makes a sound when struck," as superior. "Tu Jing" also said, "Now Jiang, Hu, Jing, and Kuizhou also have it, but the one from Xuancheng is superior, and those from Shi and Qian are second." However, according to "Taiping Huanyu Ji," the number of counties in Sichuan that offered Coptis Rhizome as a local tribute increased significantly, including Yazhou, Zhezhu, Rongzhou, Lizhou, Quzhou, and Zhongzhou, totaling six places, covering the authentic production areas of Yalian and Weilien. As for southern Coptis Rhizome, it was only seen in Xuanzhou. Clearly, the status of Sichuan-produced Coptis Rhizome began to recover at this time.

"Pin Hui Jing Yao" did not innovate on Coptis Rhizome, while "Bencao Mengquan" included both Xuanlian and Chuanlian, stating: "Xuanlian comes from Xuancheng, fat and thick with few seedlings; Chuanlian grows in Sichuan Province, thin and small with many seedlings. Both are taken like eagle claws and bead strings, and there is no need to distinguish the superiority of the land." Interestingly, "Meng Quan" changed the title of the medicinal illustration of "Lizhou Coptis Rhizome" in "Zheng Lei" to "Yazhou Coptis Rhizome," representing recognition of the authentic status of Yalian. "Gangmu" officially recognized the one from Sichuan as the authentic, with Li Shi-zhen stating: "Coptis Rhizome, at the end of the Han Dynasty, Li Dangzhi's materia medica only considered the yellow, fat, and hard ones from Shu County as good. In the Tang Dynasty, those from Lizhou were considered superior. Now, although both Wu and Shu have it, only those from Yazhou and Meizhou are considered good. The rise and fall of medicinal materials are so different. Generally, there are two types: one with thick roots, no hair, and beads, shaped like eagle or chicken claws, solid, and deep yellow; the other without beads, more hairy, and hollow inside, with a lighter yellow color. Each has its own use." According to Li, the former should be Weilien, and the latter Yalian.

Yunlian is mentioned in "Diannan Bencao": "Dianlian, also known as Yunlian, is not widely recognized. It grows in Yushan, shaped like plantain, with small, fine seeds, yellow roots, and connected in strips." Yushan is located in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, and its species should be the Japanese buttercup herb family plant Coptis teeta Wall. Historically, Yunlian should be a local customary product, with small production, and occasionally used in mainland materia medica. For example, "Bencao Congxin" Volume 1 mentions Yunnan Lian as inferior to Yazhou Coptis Rhizome. As for "Yunnan Tongzhi" Volume 27, it mentions: "Coptis Rhizome, those from Lijiang and Kaihua are good." According to the research of the compilers of "Diannan Bencao," those from Lijiang and Kaihua are not Yunlian but the Japanese buttercup herb family plant Thalictrum foliolosum DC.

Subsequent materia medica texts have all regarded Sichuan-produced Yalian and Weilien as authentic, with occasional mentions of Yunlian. For example, "The Identification of Medicinal Production" states: "Sichuan Coptis Rhizome is produced in Yazhou and Mount Emei. The one produced in Yunnan is called Yunlian." The "Revised Weiyao Tiaobian" also mentions: "There are many types of Coptis Rhizome, produced everywhere, with both wild and cultivated varieties. However, the wild ones from Sichuan are often of high quality and are essential for emetic therapy." As for the locally referred to "Tu Coptis Rhizome," its sources are complex. For instance, the Tu Coptis Rhizome in "Diannan Bencao" refers to the Berberidaceae plant Berberis ferdinandi-coburgii Schneid. or Berberis pruinosa Franch. The Tu Coptis Rhizome in "Zhiwu Mingshi Tukao" and "Bencao Gangmu Shiyi" seems to be the short-calyx Coptis Rhizome. Mr. Xie Zongwan has conducted a special study on this topic, which will not be elaborated here.