WONDROUS GINSENG

NAME: Red Ginseng

LATIN NAME: Panax Ginseng

CHINESE NAME: Red Shen

ORIGIN: Korean Peninsula, China

BOTANICAL INFORMATION: Panax Ginseng belongs to the family Araliaceae. Ginseng root is a vertical short rhizome. The branchy, juicy, stem yellowish-white, fleshy, slightly branchy root of a pale yellow color departs from it. The surface of the root is wrinkled. The roots consist of a head, a long neck and the most spindle-shaped root branching down into two tillers: 20-25 cm long, 2-2.5 cm in diameter. Rhizome forms the "cap" of the root. The root in the lower part is divided into two tillers - "legs" and "hands" of the plant. Ginseng has a single 30-70 cm tall stalk. The leaves (usually two or three at the base ) are palatine-five-segmented, long-petiolate, oval, with sharp edges and spines on the leaf veins.The flowers are collected in a simple 15-20 flowers umbrella of greenish-white, sometimes pale pink, color. Ginseng flowers have a mild fragrance. Ginseng berries are bright red juicy trymas. They are collected in a spherical group.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION: The chemical composition of ginseng and its properties are not yet fully studied. The root contains triterpene saponins, called panaxosides A, B, C, D, E, R.Panacea essential oil, panaxic acid, which is a mixture of fatty acids: stearic, palmitic, linoleic and oleic, cane sugar, alkaloids, fatty oil, phytosterols, mucus, pectic substances, starch, gums, tannins, vitamins group B, ascorbic acid were found in the roots of the plant. According to Chinese researchers, significant ammount of  sulfur, phosphorus, trace elements Ca, Mg, K, Al, Se, Fe, Sr, Mn, Ba, Ti were found in Ginseng.

HISTORY:

Over 2800 years before our era in Chinese, Ginseng was considered to be omnipotent. Of course, such a unique herb was very expensive. Natural roots of 100-200 g were extremely rare. Particularly large specimens left their mark on history. In 1981, a 500 gr root was found in China. The root had a lot branches and pearl growths, which was especially appreciated. In 1905 a larger 600 gr specimen was found, when laying the railroad in Manchuria. It was sold in Shanghai for 5000 dollars, which is only half of its true value. It turns out that the more the shape of the root looks like a human figure, the more expensive the plant is.

There is a beautiful legend about a noble knight, Zhen Shene, that tries to give the explanation to the name of the plant. He was facing with a man who was his sister love. The knight lost the battle and died, and his sister was far gone in grief. There was a plant with extraordinary properties, where the girl`s tears fell to the ground.  

Another legend tells about a werewolf boy who turned into Ginseng or that the plant is the result of the incest of red pine with a tiger. Often, a number of magical properties are attributed to Ginseng, one of which is the ability to transform into representatives of the animal world or even into people.

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