ginseng

ginseng

ginseng , common name for the Araliaceae, a family of tropical herbs, shrubs, and trees that are often prickly and sometimes grow as climbing forms. The true ginseng ( Panax ginseng ), long prized by the Chinese for its medicinal qualities, was in such demand that a North American ginseng, P. quinquefolius, was imported in large quantities as a substitute. Both species have been all but exterminated in the wild by commercial exploitation. The herbal medicine ginseng is prepared from the plants' dried roots; it is used as a mild sedative and to increase stamina.

The widely varied family includes also the dwarf ginseng ( P. trifolium ) of North America; the English ivy ( Hedera helix ), a popular ornamental evergreen vine; the Hercules'-club, devil's-club, or devil's-walking-stick (names applied to several related species) of North America and E Asia, used locally for medicinal purposes; and the rice-paper plant ( Tetrapanax papyriferus ) of China, the pith of which is used to make Chinese rice paper. Native American species of this family include the wild sarsaparilla ( Aralia nudicaulis ) and the American, or wild, spikenard ( A. racemosa ). The names sarsaparilla and spikenard are applied also to plants of other families.

Ginseng is classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida, order Apiales, family Araliaceae.

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Ginseng

Ginseng

Pronounced "jin-seng," a plant of the genus Panax, family Aralia, indigenous to China, Korea, and North America. The Chinese and Korean species, Panax ginseng, is said to have curative properties, including the ability to prolong life.

The roots sometimes resemble the human form, rather like the mandragoras or mandrake, and a legend similar to that of the mandrake says that ginseng also screams when uprooted. Chinese tradition claims that ginseng absorbs a special earth vitality that is communicated to those who consume the plant (usually in the form of an infusion); hence in former times its use was restricted to emperors.

Although the plant's medicinal value is still disputed in Europe and the United States, it is now cultivated widely for sale in health food stores.

The American general William Westmoreland reportedly took ginseng tea at breakfast during the Vietnam War, and Russians gave it to cosmonauts to combat infectious disease.

Sources:

Harriman, Sarah. The Book of Ginseng. New York: Pyramid Books, 1975.

Melton, J. Gordon, Jerome Clark, and Aidan Kelly. New Age Encyclopedia. Detroit: Gale Research, 1990.

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"Ginseng." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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ginseng

ginseng Herbal products from the roots of three species; Korean or Chinese ginseng is Panax ginseng, Siberian is Eleutherococcus senticosus, American is P. quinquefolius. Reported to have an immunostimulant action, to increase work capacity, and act as an adaptogen, with limited evidence of efficacy.

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DAVID A. BENDER. "ginseng." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAVID A. BENDER. "ginseng." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-ginseng.html

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ginseng

gin·seng / ˈjinseng/ • n. 1. a plant tuber credited with various tonic and medicinal properties. 2. the plant (genus Panax, family Araliaceae) from which this tuber is obtained, native to eastern Asia and North America.

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"ginseng." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ginseng." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-ginseng.html

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ginseng

ginseng Either of two perennial plants found in the USA (Panax quinquefolius) and e Asia (P. ginseng). It has yellow-green flowers and compound leaves. The dried tuberous roots are used in Chinese traditional medicine. Height: to 51cm (20in). Family Araliaceae.

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"ginseng." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ginseng." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-ginseng.html

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ginseng

ginseng See PANAX.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "ginseng." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "ginseng." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-ginseng.html

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ginseng

ginsengKaifeng, Yancheng •ginseng

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"ginseng." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ginseng." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-ginseng.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Ginseng plays big part in driving growth of homeopathic medicine.
Magazine article from: Chain Drug Review; 11/21/1994
Ginseng.(facts about purported health benefits)
Newspaper article from: Nutrition Action Healthletter; 5/1/1999
Ginseng
Newspaper article from: Nutrition Action Healthletter; 5/1/1999

Facts and information from other sites

ginseng images
ginseng. Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)