Common Name:

General Information

Bupleurum longiradiatum is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a thick, little-branched rhizome. It usually produces 1 - 3 stems that are much-branched above; growing 80 - 150cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Known Hazards

This is one of a few toxic species in the genus that should not be used for medicinal purposes as a substitute for chai hu (Bupleurum chinense)[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - eastern Siberia, Mongolia, northern China, Japan, Korea

Habitat

Forests and shrubby thickets, it is also found rarely on not excessively exposed dry slopes[]. Forests, woods, mountain slopes, shady river banks; at elevations from 200 - 900 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most soils if they are well drained[, ].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked[].

Medicinal

According to the Flora of China[] there are around 180 accepted species of Bupleurum (as of 2013) of which 42 species (22 of them endemic) are found in China. Most, if not all of these Chinese species are used medicinally, with two of them (Bupleurum chinense and Bupleurum scorzonerifolium being some of the most important and widely used herbs in Chinese Herbal medicine[].
Other species in the genus also have medicinal potential. The roots of Bupleurum species in general contain a range of medicinally active compounds including saponins, sterols, lignans, flavonoids, coumarins, polysaccharides and essential oils[].
Traditionally the root is used to regulate the metabolism, for the treatment of fever, pain and inflammation associated with influenza and the common cold. In addition, Bupleurum species are also used as analgesics in the treatment of distending pain in the hypochondriac region of the upper abdomen and against amenorrhoea. Many Bupleuri extracts have been used for improvement and protection against chronic hepatitis, nephrotic syndrome and autoimmune diseases[].
Recorded below are the specific medicinal uses we have come across for this species. Many of the Bupleurum species not included in the database are likely to also have a range of potential applications[].

The essential oil is antibacterial and antioxidant[].

The seed is used in the treatment of amenorrhoea, catarrh, deafness, diarrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, dyspepsia, fever, flatulence, hepatitis, inflammation, malaria, vertigo and uteral prolapse[].
Some caution is advised - see notes above on toxicity[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in the greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 8 weeks at 15°c[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division might be possible in the spring.