ABSTRACT
Bupleurum genus, which was named by Linnaeus in 1735, belongs to Umbelliferae, Apioideae, Ammineae. A glabrous perennial with a stout, woody stock. Root straight or curved with 2 to 3 branch roots, gray to brown at surface. The plants of genus Bupleurum L. are distributed throughout the temperate region of the Northern Hemisphere. In China, they are distributed in all provinces except Hainan. In the north or central sections of China, the Bupleurum part used is the root, whereas in the southwest of China, the total herb is used. The root is used to treat hepatitis, influenza, and menoxenia, and the aerial part for fever. More species occur in the south than in the north, especially in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. Sometimes four to five species of Bupleurum grow on the same mountain.
