Panax quinquefolius - American ginseng

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American ginseng, Panacis quinquefolis

Panacis quinquefolis is a herbaceous perennial plant in the ivy family, commonly used as Chinese or Herbal medicine. An extract is sold as Cold-fX. It is native to eastern North America, though it is also cultivated in places such as China.

Uses

Stress management, Mental clarity, Menopause, Type 2 Diabetes, Heart disease, Cancer, Alzheimer.

Parts Used

Root, Leaves. .

Chemical Composition

Like Panax ginseng, American ginseng contains dammarane-type ginsenosides, or saponins, as the major biologically active constituents. Dammarane-type ginsenosides include two classifications: 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (PPT). American ginseng contains high levels of Rb1, Rd (PPD classification), and Re (PPT classification) ginsenosides—higher than that of P. ginseng in one study.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Ativisa
Hindi	Atis
Malayalam	Ativisam
Tamil	Atividyam
Telugu	Ati visa
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Ativisha
English	Indian Atees

Habit

Herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
glabrous	sessile	The leaves are variable in shape and size

.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	2-4cm long	white–violet	10-18	Flowers are Large, hooded and occur in slender racemes or lax leafy panicles. Corolla is hairy. Carpels are five in number

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
	7–10 mm (0.28–0.4 in.) long pome		s		{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Tuber segment.

How to plant/cultivate

Ginseng has fairly stringent environmental requirements. It requires at least 70 percent shade. The soil must have enough base nutrients (15-20 percent base saturation) to meet its needs, but not so much that the soil pH exceeds 6 (liming is out of the question unless pH is too low). The soil must be moist, but well-drained. To achieve this, the organic matter content has to be pretty high.

Commonly seen growing in areas

western Himalayas, open woodland, moisty soil area.

Photo Gallery

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  American ginseng in human figure

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  Under wooden shade, American ginseng in late fall at Monk Garden in Wisconsin

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  A picture of the American Ginseng plant with fruit.

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  American ginseng berries are ripe by late fall in Wisconsin.

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  American wild ginseng root (Panax quinquefolius). This is a very old specimen, showing over 60 growth scars.

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  American wild ginseng root (Panax quinquefolius). Very old roots, ranging from 40–60 growth scars.

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  American wild ginseng root (Panax quinquefolius). This is a very old specimen, showing over 60 growth scars.

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  American wild ginseng root (Panax quinquefolius). Very old roots, ranging from 40–65 growth scars.