Introduction of Bai Tou Weng:Chinese Pulsatilla Root or Radix Pulsatillae.

 ✵The article gives records of the herb Chinese Pulsatilla Root, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source six plant species, ①.Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel., ②.Pulsatilla turczaninovii Kryl.et Serg., ③.Pulsatilla ambigua Turcz.ex Pritz., ④.Pulsatilla dahurica(Fisch.ex DC.)Spreng., ⑤.Pulsatilla cernua (Thunb.) Bercht.et Opiz., ⑥.Pulsatilla campanella Fisch.ex Regel., and the botanical source of the herb Pulsatilla defined by the herbal classics of North America and Europe, two plant species, ⑦.Pulsatilla vulgaris Miller(syn. with Anemone pulsatilla L.), ⑧.Pulsatilla pratensis L., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of these eight plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these eight plant species, the features of the herb Chinese Pulsatilla Root, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.

Radix Pulsatillae(Chinese Pulsatilla Root).

 Pin Yin Name: Bái Tóu Wēnɡ.
 English Name: Chinese Pulsatilla Root.
 Latin Name: Radix Pulsatillae.
 Property and flavor: cold, bitter.

 Brief introduction: The Herb Radix Pulsatillae is the dried root of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel., used for treating bacterial and amebic dysentery, and externally for trichomona vaginitis.The herb is commonly known as Radix Pulsatillae, Chinese Pulsatilla Root, Bái Tóu Wēnɡ.

 Botanical source: The herb Radix Pulsatillae (Chinese Pulsatilla Root) is the dried root of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel., it is a plant of the Anemone Genus, the Ranunculaceae family (buttercup, ranunculus, crowfoot family) of the Ranunculales order.

 Common herbal classics of China defined the herb Radix Pulsatillae (Chinese Pulsatilla Root, Bai Tou Weng) as the dry root of several Ranunculaceae family plant species, including (1). Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel., or (2). Pulsatilla turczaninovii Kryl.et Serg., or (3). Pulsatilla ambigua Turcz.ex Pritz., or (4). Pulsatilla dahurica(Fisch.ex DC.)Spreng., or (5). Pulsatilla cernua (Thunb.) Bercht.et Opiz., or (6). Pulsatilla campanella Fisch.ex Regel.; the herb stem and leaf of Chinese Pulsatilla(Bai Tou Weng Jing Ye), and the herb Flower of Chinese Pulsatilla(Bai Tou Weng Hua) also comes from stem, leaf or flower parts of the above species, accordingly. The common herbal classics of North America and Europe defined the herb Pulsatilla as the dried above-ground parts of 2 species of the Ranunculaceae family:(7). Pulsatilla vulgaris Miller(syn. with Anemone pulsatilla L.) and (8). Pulsatilla pratensis L. These 8 commonly used species are introduced:

(1).Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel.

  Botanical description: Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel is also known as Anemone chinensis Bunge, is a plant of the Ranunculaceae family (buttercup, ranunculus, crowfoot family) and nemone genus, it is also known as Anemone chinensis Bunge, or Bai Tou Weng, Nai He Cao, Bai Tou Cao. A perennial herb, the plant grows up to 15~35 cm high. The rhizome is thick, 8~15 mm in diameter. 4~5 basal leaves (radical leaves), grow out of the ground during flowering, leaves are 3-parted; petioles are 7~15 cm long, covered with dense pilose; leaf blade outline is broad-ovate, 4.5~14 cm long, 6.5~16 cm wide, the upper surface is covered with sparse hairs, fall off in late-stage and turn glabrous, the undersurface is densely covered with long pilose, trifurcated, central parted lobes has petiole or are subsessile, 3-parted, central parted lobes are cuneate-ovate, or narrowly cuneate, entire or dentate, lateral parted lobes are different in size, 2 lobed; lateral divided lobes are sessile or subsessile, different in size from 3-parted lobes.

 1~2 scapes, grow after flowering, 15~35 cm high, 3 bracts, the base connate, the hypanthium (calyx tube) is 3~10 mm long, lobes are striate, outside is densely villous, inside is glabrous; flowers are hermaphroditic, single, upright, pedicels are 2.5~5.5 cm long; 6 sepals, arranged in 2 whorls, narrowly ovate or oblong-ovate, 2.8~4.4 cm long, 9~20 mm wide, royal purple (bluish violet), densely pilose outside; petals are absent; many stamens, about half-length of sepals; carpels are many, covered with hairs.

 Achenes are 3-4 mm long, villous, plumelike persistent style grow on the top, 3.5~6.5 cm long. Its flowering period is from April to May, and the fruiting period is from June to July.

  Ecological environment: Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel grows in plains and grassland on low hillsides and mountain slopes, forest edges, or dry rocky slopes.

  Ornamental value: there are more than 30 species of pulsatilla, flower is campaniform (bell-shaped), with white, purple, and blue colors, whole coat, very strange, the time from flowering to the maturity of capsularfruit is about a month and a half, the first flower viewing fruit. In summer and autumn, the leaves are green, but after the frost it turns to hibernation, as a wild-rooted plant, year planting for many years ornamental, to overcome the biennial herb flower high cost, easy to degenerate the shortcomings of varieties, can be planted in the gardens of forest gaps and shrubs, or in natural ways, because of its early flowering, short plants, is the ideal ground cover species, fruit is plumelike and style is persistent, capitate, very chic. It can also be used to enjoy flower beds or potted plants. Besides, Pulsatilla is very sensitive to acid rain. Pulsatilla died soon after acid rain fell. This characteristic of Pulsatilla not only makes it an indicator plant for detecting environmental pollution, but also increases its value as an ornamental flower.

 Growth characteristics: Pulsatilla chinensis prefers a cool and dry climate. Cold resistance, drought resistance, and high-temperature resistance. The sandy loam with deep soil layers and good drainage is the best for growing, alluvial soil and clay loam are the next, and the low land with poor drainage is not suitable for planting. The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral, and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

  Characters of herbs: The root of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel is long cylindrical or conical, slightly curved, sometimes twisted and slightly flat, 5~20 cm long, and 0.5~2 cm in diameter. The surface is yellowish brown or tan (chocolate brown), with irregular vertical wrinkles or grooves, sometimes 2~3 branch roots are separated from the middle part, and the cortex is easy to fall off to expose the yellow xylem (wood part), and often decays into concave holes, showing the reticulated pattern of vertical protrusions; the root head is slightly enlarged, sometimes bifurcated, and several layers of sheath-like petiole base and young leaves remain at the top, with dense white long hairs. The texture of the herb is hard and brittle (crisp), the fracture surface is slightly flat, the cortex is yellow-white or yellowish-brown, sometimes there are gaps between the cortex and the xylem (wood part), and the xylem (wood part) is primrose yellow (pale yellow). The herb has a slight taste, and it tastes slightly bitter and puckery. The herb of a better grade has thick and long strips, and the texture of the herb is solid and firm.

 Pharmacological actions: ①.significantly inhibit the growth of amoeba; ②.inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Dysentery bacillus, and Typhoid bacillus; ③.inhibitory and insecticidal action on Trichomonas vaginalis, fights the influenza virus, and so on effect; ④.sedative and analgesic effects.

 Medicinal efficacy: Clear heat and detoxify, cool blood and stanch dysentery, drying dampness, and insecticidal action. It is indicated for fever, bloody dysentery of toxic heat, amoebic dysentery, red and white dysentery, epistaxis, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, hemorrhoids, cold and heat type warm malaria (characterized by the patient's running a fever followed by feeling cold), morbid leukorrhea, pruritus vulvae, scrofula, eczema, carbuncle and sores, red eyes and pains.

 Administration of Radix Pulsatillae (Bái Tóu Wēnɡ): 
 

Reference:	Administration Guide of Radix Pulsatillae (Bái Tóu Wēnɡ)
TCM Books:	①.Internally: 9~15 grams; ②.Internally:water decoction, 3~5 qian (about 9~15 grams), fresh herb 0.5~1 liang (about 15~30 grams),or prepare to pill, powder. Externally:mashed and apply stick; ③.Internally:water decoction, 15~30 grams, prepared to pill, powder.Externally:proper amount,wash with water decoction or mashed and apply stick.

(2).Pulsatilla turczaninovii Kryl.et Serg.

  Botanical description: Pulsatilla turczaninovii Kryl.et Serg is a plant of the Ranunculaceae family (buttercup, ranunculus, crowfoot family) and nemone genus, it is also known as Slim Leaf Pulsatilla, or Xi Ye Bai Tou Weng (means thin-leaf pulsatilla), or Xi Lie Bai Tou Weng. A perennial herb, the plant grows up to 15~25 cm high. 4~5 basal leaves, growing on the base and growing out of the ground in the flowering phase. Bipinnate or tripinnate pinnately compound leaves; petioles are 5~8 cm long, sometimes up to 14 cm long, sparsely covered with white pilose; leaf blade outline is narrowly elliptic or oval (egg-shaped), 7~8.5 cm long, 2.5~4 cm wide, pinnae are in 3~4 pairs, pinna on the lower part has a petiole, pinna on the upper part is sessile, the pinna is also known as pinniform cracking, lobes are linear-lanceolate or linear, sometimes oval (egg-shaped), 1~2.5 mm wide, the tip is often sharp-pointed, the margin is slightly retroflexed, the adult leaf is glabrous on both surfaces, or slightly villose along leaf veins.

 Scape has soft hairs; 3 bracts, 2.8~3.4 cm long, base connate, tube is 5~6 mm long, lobes are linear or linear-lanceolate, 1~1.5 mm wide, outside is villous; flowers are hermaphroditic, solitary, upright, pedicel is about 1.5 cm long, length is up to 15 cm in fruit phase; 6 sepals, arranged in 2 whorls, ovate-oblong or elliptic, 2.2~4.2 cm long, 1~1.3 cm wide, royal purple (bluish violet), the apex is slightly pointed or obtuse, outside is villous; flower petals are absent; many stamens, about half-length of sepals; many carpels.

 Achenes are about 4 mm long, densely villous, plumelike persistent style grow on the top, about 3 cm long. Its flowering period is in May, and the fruiting period is in June.

  Ecological environment: Pulsatilla turczaninovii Kryl.et Serg grows in grassland, mountain grass slope, or the edge of the forest.

 Characters of herbs: The roots are relatively thin, long cylindrical, have few branches; the bark and cortex do not fall off.

(3).Pulsatilla ambigua Turcz.ex Pritz.

  Botanical description: Pulsatilla ambigua Turcz.ex Pritz is a plant of the Ranunculaceae family (buttercup, ranunculus, crowfoot family) and Anemone genus, it is commonly known as Menggu Bai Tou Weng, or Bei Bai Tou Weng, Gao Shan Bai Tou Weng (means alpine pulsatilla). A perennial herb, the plant grows up to 16~22 cm high. The rhizome is thick, 5~8 mm in diameter.