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Atractylodes macrocephala (báizhú) is a herbaceous perennial from central China, grown mainly for its thick rhizome used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a field crop rather than an ornamental and needs well-drained soil and a cool, moist-but-not-waterlogged root zone.
Atractylodes macrocephala (simplified Chinese: 白术; traditional Chinese: 白朮; pinyin: báizhú) is a species of Atractylodes that grows in central China. The roots are consumed as a Chinese herbal medicine.
It is found in the grasslands, forests, at an altitude of 600-2800 meters, in Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang in China.
Atractylodes macrocephala is cultivated throughout China. The rhizomes, called Bái zhú (白术) are used in traditional Chinese medicine for multiple medicinal purposes, especially those concerning spleen issues and other gastrointestinal issues. Modern research shows A. macrocephala contains many pharmacologically active chemical compounds.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Atractylodes macrocephala by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
