Investigation on Origins of Rhizoma Arisaematis

As plant tubers of Araceae,Arisaema heterophyllum or Amurense,Rhizoma Arisaematis was not recorded in Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing(Shennong's Classic of Meteria Medica) but Pinellia pedatisecta as inferior;but the Compendium of Materia Medica recorded the Araceae under the name of Pinellia pedatisecta,Zhi Wu Ming Shi Tu Kao(An Illustrated Book of Plants) also recorded Pinellia pedatisecta as Rhizoma Arisaematis.According to Supplement to Medica written in Tang Dynasty,Rhizoma Arisaema was not the same as Pinellia pedatisecta.All these expressed a very chaotic adoption of Rhizoma Arisaema tis at that time.Every edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia contains all Araceae,Arisaema heterophyllum and Arisaema,but not Pinellia pedatisecta.However,the trade in medicinal herbs has been in charge of Pinellia pedatisecta,and the specifications of goods are used to name Rhizoma Arisaematis collected in Chinese Pharmacopoeia,but Pinellia pedatisecta named as Pinellia pedatisecta Schott.In addition,there are a variety of other tubers of the same family Araceae plants used as Rhizoma Arisaematis in different regions.