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Article: Dong Quai
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 The Gale Group, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Dong quai
Description
Dong quai (
Angelica sinensis)
, also called Chinese
angelica
, is a member of the Umbelliferae (Apiaceae), or carrot family. This Oriental medicinal herb is sometimes called the empress of herbs, or female ginseng.
Dong quai grows best in such damp places as moist meadows, river banks, and mountain ravines. It may be biennial or perennial. The bitter-sweet root, described by some herbalists as resembling carved ivory, is used medicinally. Dong quai, variously known as dang gui or tang kuei, produces a round, hollow, grooved stem that grows as high as 7 ft. The lower leaves are large and tri-pinnate, each further divided into two or three leaflets. The smaller upper ...