Common Monkshood Mother Root

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi.

Irregular conical, slightly curved, with remnants of stem; the center portion is generally enlarged on one side; 2~7.5cm long, 1.2~2.5cm diameter. Externally brown or grayish-brown, wrinkled, with little tumor-like lateral roots and scars of rootlet. Firm texture, fractured surface is off-white or pale grayish-yellow, cambium ring presents with a polygonal shape. faint odor; acrid and spicy taste, numbing tongue.

Superior medicinal material is full, firm,with white fractured surface.

Acrid, bitter; hot; very toxic.

Dispels wind, eliminates dampness, warms channels, disperses cold, stops pain. Apply to anemofrigid-damp arthralgia, arthralgia, limb numbness, hemiplegia, head wind and headache, cold hernia and pain, traumatic and swelling pain, yin carbuncle and swollen toxin, analgesia.

'Raven head’: This refers to the root of chuan wu and cao wu which have a shape similar to a raven’s head. “Nail horn”: this refers to the external surface of chuan wu has small tumor-like lateral root and scars of rootlet.