Isatidis Radix root slices indago woad ban lan gen

LATIN NAME: ISATIS INDIGOTICA

COMMON NAME: Isatidis Radix, Ban Lan Gen, Indigo Woad

The isatidis radix, known in the old traditions as ban lan gen, is the dried root of the woad, a tall, striking plant whose blue dye and whose root have made it a subject of study and use across the northern world for thousands of years. The woad grows as an upright, branching, biennial herb of the mustard family, reaching up to a metre and a half or more in its second year, with a basal rosette of the large, oblong, grey-green leaves in the first year and, in the second year, upright, branching stems bearing smaller, arrow-shaped leaves and, in the early summer, many bright-yellow, four-petalled flowers in the flat-topped clusters, followed by the small, dark, pendulous seed pods. It is a species of the flowering herb, native to the warm regions of the Mediterranean and the East, while it has been cultivated for its blue dye and its root for a very long time, and it is known as the woad, the indigo woad or the ban lan gen.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The isatidis radix and the woad have a real and distinguished place in research. They have been studied in the chemistry and the natural-products science, since the woad contains the indigo precursors and a range of other compounds in its leaves and roots, and the researchers have examined the plant, its constituents and its composition, while the study of the woad and its chemistry has drawn attention in the international natural-products press, and the plant is best appreciated as a subject of study and a traditional material rather than a casual remedy. The plant has also been studied in the history and the dye science, since the woad was one of the most important blue dyes of the old world before the synthetic dyes, and the researchers have examined the preparation of the dye, its use and its history, while the study of the natural dyes has been of continuing interest across the world. The species has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the mustard family and a relative of the cabbage and the mustard, and its relationships, its distribution and its cultivation have been examined, while the bright-yellow flowers and the dark seed pods of the woad have been of interest to the botanists. For a plant of such history, the isatidis radix has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

To grow the Woad from seed, the woad is a tall, upright biennial of the open fields and the disturbed ground, where its bright-yellow flowers light up the early summer. Its flowers feed the bees and the insects of the spring, and its tall, branching growth gives a fine cover to the small creatures, while its deep taproot helps to break up the compacted soil. Its economic value is real and ancient: the woad was prized as a source of the blue dye across the old world, and its value has drawn attention in the historical and the craft press, while the root has a long history in the traditional materials of the East, and the plant is a fine addition to the back of the border and the dye garden. To raise the woad, sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a sunny, cool place, keep them gently watered, and grow the little plants on in the sun.

sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a sunny, cool place, keep the young woad gently watered, and grow the little plants on in the sun.

Radix Isatidis Anti-flu measles syphilis scarlet fever toxic herbs Description Woad (or glastum) is the common name of the flowering plant Isatis tinctoria in the family Brassicaceae . It is commonly called dyer's woad, and sometimes incorrectly listed as Isatis indigotica (a newer and invalid name for the same plant). It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem. Woad is also the name of a blue  dye produced from the plant. Woad is pronounced  to rhyme with road. Woad is native to the steppe  and desert zones of the Caucasus  Central Asia to eastern Siberia  and Western Asia ,but is now found in southeastern and some parts of Central Europe  as well. It has been cultivated throughout Europe, especially in Western and southern Europe, since ancient times Recently, scientists have discovered woad might be used to prevent cancer, having more than 20 times the amount of glucobrassicin contained in broccoli. Young leaves when damaged can produce more glucobrassicin, up to 65 times as much. Indigowoad Root  is a traditional Chinese medicine herb that comes from the roots of woad, but often incorrectly listed under the synonymic name, Isatis indigotica. It is also known as Radix Isatidis. The herb is cultivated in various regions of northern China , namely Hebei , Beijing , Heilongjiang , Henan , Jiangsu , and Gansu  The roots are harvested during the autumn and dried. The dried root is then processed into granules, which are most commonly consumed dissolved in hot water or tea . The product is very popular throughout China, and used to remove toxic heat, soothe sore throat  and to treat influenza , measles, mumps, syphilis, or scarlet fever. It is also used for pharyngitis, laryngitis, erysipelas, and carbuncle, and to prevent hepatitis A, epidemic meningitis, cancer and inflammation . Possible minor side effects include allergic reactions and dizziness; only large dosages or long term usage can be toxic to the kidneys. These treatments have not generally been evaluated clinically.