Panax ginseng
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Panax ginseng, ginseng,<ref name="GRIN">Template:GRIN</ref> also known as Asian ginseng,<ref name="GRIN" /><ref name="NCCIH">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Chinese ginseng<ref name="GRIN" /><ref name="NCCIH" /> or Korean ginseng,<ref name="GRIN" /><ref name="NCCIH" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> is a species of plant whose root is the original source of ginseng. It is a perennial plant that grows in the mountains of East Asia.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is mainly cultivated in China, Korea, Russia, and Japan.
P. ginseng is an herbaceous perennial plant, 30–60 cm tall, with palmately compound leaves, serrated leaflets, a terminal umbel of 30–50 flowers, red round fruits, and kidney-shaped seeds.
P. ginseng is primarily cultivated in Korea. While all South Korean ginseng is P. ginseng,<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> ginseng production in China encompasses both P. ginseng and South China ginseng (Panax notoginseng).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
It may cause side effects or interact with various medications and conditions.<ref name="mlp">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
NamesEdit
Panax ginseng is called Rénshēn ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; Template:Literal translation) in Mandarin (Chinese),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Insam (Template:Korean) in Korean, Nhân Sâm in Vietnamese and Ninjin ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) in Japanese. The specific epithet ginseng means "man-herb" or "forked root".Template:Sfnp
DescriptionEdit
Panax ginseng is a herbaceous perennial growing from 30 to 60 cm tall. Plants have a spindle- or cylinder-shaped taproot, usually with 1 or 2 main branches. Plants produce 3 to 6 leaves that are palmately compound, with each leaf having 3 to 5 leaflets. The margins of the leaflets are densely serrated. The flowers are born in a solitary inflorescence that is a terminal umbel with 30 to 50 flowers. The peduncles of the flowers are 15 to 30 cm long. The flower ovary is 2-carpellate, with each carpel having two distinct styles. Mature fruits are 4–5 x 6–7 millimeters in size, red in color, and round with flattened ends. The white seeds are kidney-shaped. The (2n) diploid chromosome count is 48.<ref name="FoC:200015253">Template:EFloras</ref>
TaxonomyEdit
In a letter dated 12 April 1711, the French Jesuit mathematician and cartographer Pierre Jartoux described gin-seng,Template:Sfnp a Chinese name for a plant now known as Panax ginseng.Template:Sfnp According to Jartoux, the name means "form of man", which refers to the shape of the root.Template:Sfnp
DistributionEdit
Panax ginseng is native to mountainous regions of the Russian Far East, Northeast China, and the Korean Peninsula.<ref name="GRIN" /> It is a protected plant in Russia and China, and most commercial ginseng is now sourced from plants cultivated in China, Korea and Russia. It is also cultivated in some areas of Japan. The plant is a slow-growing perennial, and the roots are usually harvested when the plants are five or six years old.<ref name=Mahady>Template:Cite book</ref>
CultivationEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Panax ginseng is one of the most commonly cultivated ginseng species, along with P. notoginseng (found naturally in China) and P. quinquefolius.<ref name="Baeg">Template:Cite journal</ref>
ResearchEdit
There is no high-quality evidence for ginseng having any health effect.<ref name="mlp">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Ginseng phytochemicals, such as ginsenosides, are under preliminary research for their potential to affect fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis, as well as various cognitive effects<ref name=mlp/> and aging-related disorders.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Panax ginseng is generally considered safe for adults when used for less than six months, but may be unsafe to use for longer than six months.<ref name=mlp/>
Potential for adverse effectsEdit
Use of Panax ginseng during pregnancy and breastfeeding is potentially unsafe.<ref name=mlp/> It may have adverse effects in people with immune disorders, bleeding conditions, cardiovascular diseases or cancer.<ref name=mlp/> It should not be used by children.<ref name=mlp/>
Folk medicineEdit
Ginseng is used as an herb in folk medicine.<ref name="NCCIH" />
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
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