American Ginseng

Primarily produced in Canada and the USA.

Fusiform, cylindrical or conical shape, 3~12cm long, 0.8~2cm diameter. Externally pale yellowish-brown or yellowish-white, with horizontal rings and linear lenticels, and dense shallow longitudinal wrinkles and rootlet scars. Lower portion of main root has one to numerous lateral roots, often broken. Sometimes the upper portion has a rhizome (neck), obvious ring nodes, stem scars (lu wan) are spherical or semi-spherical, with adventitious root, or broken. Heavy in weight, firm texture, hard to break, flat fractured surface, pale yellowish-white, slightly powdery, yellowish-brown spotted resin canals in the cortex, cambium ring is brownish-yellow, xylem has slightly radial striations. faintly distinctive odor, slightly bitter, sweet taste.

Superior medicinal material is even, hard, with dense externally horizontal lines, and potent clear aroma.

Sweet, slightly bitter, slightly cold.

Supplements qi, nourishes yin, clears heat, engenders fluid. Apply to deficiency of vital energy and yin-fluid, calor internus, coughing with asthma, bloody phlegm, thirst and fatigue due to asthenic fever, diabetes, dry mouth and pharynx. Anti-fatigue, anti-oxidation, anti-stress, inhibit platelet aggregation, reduce blood coagulation, besides that it also has effect of adjusting blood glucose to diabetes patients.