Common Name: Zhi Mu

General Information

Anemarrhena asphodeloides is an evergreen perennial plant producing leaves 10 - 60cm long and a flowering scape 35 - 100cm tall. The plant grows fom a creeping, horizontal rhizome around 10cm long and 1.5cm in diameter[].
A commonly used medicinal herb in China, with a history that stretches back more than 2,000 years. The plant is gathered from the wild and also cultivated for medicinal use[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Mongolia, northern and central China, Korea

Habitat

Mountain woodlands[, ]. Exposed slopes and hills[]. Scrub, grassy slopes, steppes, sunny and sandy hillsides; at elevations from near sea level to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Moths
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

This species is not hardy in all parts of the temperate zone, it tolerates occasional temperatures down to at least -5°c[], though probaly lower judging by its native range - which includes Mongolia and northeastern China[].
Requires a rich moist neutral to acid soil that is rich in organic matter, in a position in partial or dappled shade[]. Plants are tolerant of strong winds[].
Plants can be naturalized in wild or woodland gardens and other moist shaded situations that approximate to their natural wooded mountain habitats[].
The fragrant flowers open in the evening[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The rhizome is anti-fungal, antiseptic, bitter, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic, laxative, lenitive, sedative and tonic[, , ]. It has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Bacillus dysenteriae, B. typhi, B. paratyphi, Proteus and Pseudomonas[]. It is taken internally in the treatment of high fevers in infectious diseases, TB, chronic bronchitis, diabetes and urinary problems[, , ].
It should not be given to patients with diarrhoea and should be administered with caution since when taken in excess it can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure[].
Externally, the rhizome is used as a mouthwash in the treatment of ulcers[].
The rhizome is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[].

Other Uses

The root contains about 6% saponins[]. Saponins make an excellent soap, having a gentle cleansing effect on the skin and clothes without removing the natural body oils from the skin[]. To extract the saponins it is usually sufficient to cut the root into thin slices and then gently simmer in water[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it usually germinates in the spring[]. Stored seed should be sown in late winter or early spring in a cold frame[]. It sometimes germinates within 1 - 3 months at 15°c, but may take a year. The seed should be completely separated from the fruit and should only just be covered by soil[, ]. If the seed has been sown thinly enough, then it is possible to leave the seedlings in the pot for their first growing season, dividing them after they become dormant. Make sure to give them liquid feeds at intervals through the spring and summer. Otherwise prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle. Plant out in late spring or early summer at the beginning of their second or third years growth.
Division in spring as new growth is just commencing[].