Family

Araliaceae

Genus

Panax

Common Name

Bamboo ginseng

Plant Figure

Description

Panax japonicus (also known as Bamboo ginseng) belongs to the Araliaceae family and is commonly used in traditional Asian medicine. The rhizome and root of this plant have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and they have medicinal properties of ‘conserving vitality’ and ‘replenishing blood that is similar to P. ginseng and P. notoginseng medicinal plant of the same genus, respectively. This plant is thus referred to as the ‘king of herbs’ in traditional Tujia and Hmong medicine in China, and it is in some cases used as a substitute for ginseng root in some ethnic regions.