Produced In Sichuan Polygonum Aviculare Pharmacognosy

Based on literatUre data,related sPecboens,conunercial saxnples and fieldinveshgation,botalcal origin of Bianxu was clarified.lt was found that Bianxu usedfor ages in China was derived from PolygOnum avicuha L. of Polygonacea,mainspecies of Bianxu used in most areas of Sichuan were P avicuha L. and Pplebeium R. Br.,while P aviCuha L. var. vegetum Ledeb. was also available inareas of East Sichuan such as Jiangiin,Qianjiang,etc.CoInParative studies on extemal and intemal stnJcture and TLC analysis werecAned out on the aerial partS of the 3 species meniioned above.As aresultfotwnum avicuha L. and P avicuha L. var. vegetum Ledeb. could bedistinguished by exteinal chateristics such as shaPe and size of the leafpresenceof petio1e,and they could also be differentiated from P plebeium R. Br. in theaPpearance of achene surface.No satisfied distinction was found on intema1structUre of the 3 sPecies and the description on microscopical characteristics of PavicuIar L. var. vegetUm Ledeb. in "Records of Chinese Crude Drugs" wasclarified.Pollen morpho logy,omamentation o f seed surface and cuti c le o f leaf in Pavicuha L. and P aviCuIare L. var' W Ledeb. were examined by forngeleetrn deroscope(SEM) and no dihathe was observed.R aviculare L. and PavicuIar L. var. vegtam. Ledeb. gave qulte sindlar ThC pattems,which wasdifferent from that of P pIebeium R. Br. .Based on these resultS,the vieWPoint ofcombining P twculare L. and P aviCuha L. var. vegetum Ledeb. was suPPorted.The contents of quercetin in the 3 species were detennined by ppLC.The resultshOWed tha chromatogram of the 3 SPecies were more or less althe.The contents ofquercetin were as follows:P avicuha L. var. vegetum Ledeb.,0.254%, P avicuhaL.,0.l75%, P plebeiUm R. Br.,0.082%.