A farmer plants radix bupleuri, the traditional Chinese medical herb, with the new seeder in Dingxi city, Gansu province on March 15. [Photo/Xinhua]

What is radix bupleuri?

Radix bupleuri, Bupleurum Root or chaihu is a traditional Chinese medical material mainly used for clearing heat and soothing the liver.

It is pungent and bitter in flavor, slightly cold in nature and acts on the liver and gallbladder channels.

It can be used in combination with scutellaria root, such as Xiao Chaihu Decoction, for soothing the Shaoyang channel to clear heat, treat fever affected by exopathogens, alternate attacks of pathogenic cold and heat; and, with other herbs, for dispelling exopathogens and clearing heat to treat fever caused by exopathogens.

Dingxi city in Northwest China's Gansu province is one of the major providers of radix bupleuri.

Edited by Peter Nordlinger