Panax pseudoginseng Seeds | San Qi
LATIN NAME: Panax pseudoginseng
COMMON NAME: San Qi, Pseudoginseng, Tian Qi
Plant Profile
San Qi is a low herbaceous perennial, 30-60 cm tall, with a whorl of compound leaves at the top of a single stem and a small umbel of greenish flowers. The root is the crop: a knobbly, grey-brown tuber that is lifted after three years and dried.
The plant is grown under shade cloth in the mountains of Yunnan and Guangxi, where the cool, humid conditions suit it. It is one of the most valuable medicinal crops in China, and the price of good root reflects the difficulty of growing it.
Panax pseudoginseng, usually known as Panax notoginseng, comes from south-western China. It is a close relative of ginseng but a different species, and the two are used differently: ginseng as a tonic, san qi as a herb for circulation and for wounds.
Science & Biotechnology
The root contains dammarane saponins, including notoginsenoside R1 and the ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1. Those compounds have been studied for effects on blood clotting, on inflammation and on blood vessel function, and san qi is one of the best-researched Chinese herbs in western laboratories.
The plant is a slow grower and a heavy feeder, and it is susceptible to root rot, which is why it is grown on new ground and rotated. A crop takes three years, and the root is harvested in autumn when the saponin content peaks.
San qi is also a plant with a real interaction profile: it affects platelet function, and combining it with anticoagulants or with surgery is a genuine risk. That is not a theoretical caution, and it is the main reason the herb is used under supervision.
Uses & Benefits
The root is used in Chinese medicine for trauma, bleeding and circulation problems, and it is the main ingredient in several well-known formulas and ointments. It is taken as a powder, a decoction or a capsule.
In the garden the plant is grown as a curiosity under shade, and it is a crop for growers in cool mountain climates. Commercially the root is a high-value traded herb, and the market is dominated by production in Yunnan. It is not a culinary plant. The powdered root is also applied externally to wounds in traditional practice, mixed with water or with oil.
Growing from Seed
Sow the seed fresh, since it has a double dormancy and loses viability quickly. Stratify warm for three months, then cold for three months, and sow at 15-18°C in a shaded frame. Germination is slow and the seedlings are delicate.
Plant out in deep shade under a shade cloth or a canopy, in a loose, humus-rich soil that drains but never dries out. Space at 20 cm. Water regularly and feed lightly. The crop takes three years, and the roots are lifted in autumn, washed and dried slowly at low temperature to preserve the saponins. Lift with a fork, since the roots are brittle and break if pulled.
Our Take
A high-value mountain crop rather than a garden plant, and one to handle with the same care as any herb that affects clotting.
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