黃精，又名老虎姜、雞頭參。為百合科植物滇黃精、黃精或多花黃精的干燥根莖。根據(jù)原植物和藥材性狀的差異，黃精可分為姜形黃精、雞頭黃精和大黃精三種。姜形黃精的原植物多花黃精，雞頭黃精的原植物為黃精，而大黃精（又名碟形黃精）的原植物為滇黃精。
      
    黃精以根莖入藥。具有補(bǔ)氣養(yǎng)陰，健脾，潤肺，益腎功能。用于治療脾胃虛弱，體倦乏力，口干食少，肺虛燥咳，精血不足，內(nèi)熱消渴等癥。對于糖尿病很有療效。
      
    黃精喜歡陰濕氣候條件，具有喜陰、耐寒、怕干旱的特性，在干燥地區(qū)生長不良，在濕潤蔭蔽的環(huán)境下植株生長良好。在土層較深厚、疏松肥沃、排水和保水性能較好的壤土中生長良好；在貧瘠干旱及粘重的地塊不適宜植株生長。



 

Polygonatum Sibiricum

    Polygonatum sibiricum, which is also called Tiger Ginger and belongs to liliaceae, is dried roots. It can be divided into three kinds depending on raw plants and natures of medicinal materials: ginger-shaped ones, chicken-head-shaped ones and big ones.
      
    Polygonatum sibiricums' roots have medical functions of nourishing Qi and Yin, tonifying spleen and kidney and moistening lung, and great curative effects on diseases of weakness of the spleen and the stomach, body fatigue, bad appetite, lung deficiency, cough caused by dryness, asthenia of essence and blood, internal thermal, diabetes mellitus, etc.
      
    Polygonatum sibiricums has characteristics of loving shady and moist climate, resisting cold, afraid of drought. This plant will grow very well in moist and shady environment and in thick, fertile, drained-water well soils while not well in dry and sticky soils.