著者

難波 恒雄 久保 道徳 御影 雅幸

出版者

日本生薬学会 = The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy

雑誌

生薬学雑誌 (ISSN:00374377)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.30, no.2, pp.p171-182, 1976-12

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"Xia-ku-cao (夏枯草)" is one of the Chinese crude drugs used mainly as a diuretic. While in Japan, the same drug called "Ka-go-so" has been used as a folk remedy for gonorrhea, bruises and etc. Regarding the origin of "Xia-ka-cao," it was reported by Su et al. (1958) that those from continental China was originated in the fruited spica of Prunella vulgaris L. of Labiatae. It was, however, stipulated for the spica of Prunella vulgaris L. subsp. asiatica HARA in J. P. IX (1976). According to our survey of respective markets in Taiwan, Japan and Korea, most of the materials collected in the markets were seemed to be originated in Prunella plants, while some from Korea, were seemed to be Thesium plant of Santalaceae as reported by Ishidoya (1934). Furthermore from many descriptions and figures in various herbals (Ben-cdo-shil "Xia-ka-cao" is regarded to be originated in Prunella plants as shown Plate 1. To clarify the respective origin of five kinds of "Xia-ku-cad' from continental China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea, pharmacognostical studies were made in comparing them with Prunella vulgaris L. distributed mainly in Europe, P. vulgaris L. subsp. asiatica HARA in East Asia, P. prunelliformis MAKINO in Japan and Thesium chinense TURCZ. in Asia. By the present studies, it was clarified that all of "Xia-ka-cao" originated in Prunella plants were P. vulgaris subsp. asiatica, and the materials from continental China were consisted of spica only, while those from other countries were whole plants body of that plant, and some from Korea originated in Thesium chinense.