This crude drug is the root of Stemona tuberose Lour., S. sessilifolia (Miq.) Miq. or S. japonica (Bl.) Miq. (family: Stemonaceae).

This species is a perennial climbing herb with spindle-shaped or cylindrical succulent root tubers. The stem is twining, producing leaves which are generally opposite to each other; the blade is broad ovate, 8-30cm long, 2.5-10cm wide, shallowly heart-shaped at the base, entire or slightly sinuate at the margin, the veins being 7-15 in number. Occurring from leaf axils, the flowers are yellowish green interspersed with purple lines, solitary or 2-3 forming a raceme; the flower stalk is adnate to leaf midrib at the base; the appendage of the anther is drill-like or lanceolate in shape. The fruit is an obovoid and flat capsule.

This species is mainly distributed in Shaanxi, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang in China.

The root is gathered in the summer or autumn. After dug out, it is cleaned, cut into slices and dried in the sun.

The root tuber is long spindle-shaped or linear, 8-24cm long, 0.8-2cm in diameter, with a light yellowish brown to grayish brown surface showing longitudinal shallow wrinkles or irregular longitudinal furrows. It is solid; on its yellowish white to dark brown fracture section, the stele is relatively large and the pith is off-white. This crude drug has a bitter taste.

The roots contains stemonine, stenine, tuberostemonine, isotuberostemonine, hypotuberostemonine, keto-tuberostemonine, stemotinine, isostematinine, tuberostemonol, stemoamide, tuberostemvspimnine, didehydrotuberostemnnine^[1], tuberostemonone^[1,2], tuberostemoenone, N-oxy-tuberostemonine, isodehydrotuberostemonine, dehydrotuberostemonine, oxotuberostemonine^[2].

1. The water, ethanol extracts of Stemonae Tuberosae Radix have the inhibiting effect on the growth of bacteria such as pneumococcus, escherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, corynebacterium diphtheriae, bacillus anthracis, shigella dysenteriae, typhoid bacillus, proteus, yersinia pestis, bacillus subtilisand, vibrio cholerae so on.

2. The water, ethanol extracts of Stemonae Tuberosae Radix exhibits a killing effect on bug, body louse, crab louse, hookworm, pinworm, trichomonas vaginalis and so on^[1,2].

1. Refractory hydrothorax: 26 cases of recurrent pleural effusion were treated with baibuerchen decoction (baibu (Large Tuber Stemona Root), huangjing (King Solomonseal Rhizome), huangbo (cortex phellodendri), banlangen (Indigowoad Root), etc.), 1 agent daily, 10 days for the 1 course. Results showed that 16 cases were cured after 1 courses of treatment, 9 cases  were cured after 2 courses of treatment, 1 cases of malignant pleural effusion failure a in after 3 courses of treatment, the total efficiency of was 96.1%^[1] .

2.Crabs disease: 103 patients were treated with baibu(Large Tuber Stemona Root) mixed 95% alcohol for external use, 4 times daily for 1 week. Results showed that the longest taking time was 2 weeks, non-toxic side effects, and no recurrence ^[2].

3. Cervical erosion: 70 cases were treated with baibu (Large Tuber Stemona Root) 30g, kushen (Lightyellow Sophora Root)30g, huangbo(cortex phellodendri)30g, jinyinhua (Honeysuckle Flower) 30g, huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma) 30g, tufulin (Glabrous Greenbrier Rhizome) 30g. After dried, adding kufang (dried alum)3g, bingpian (ornel) 3g, metronidazole 30 for external ues, 2 day 1 times, in addition to frequently changes underwear. Results showed that after 2～ 4 times , 63 cases were cured, 4 cases relived, and 3 cases were ineffective ^[3] .

4.Tinea pedis: 68 patients were treated with kushenbaibu washing decoction ( kushen(Lightyellow Sophora Root)50g, baibu(Large Tuber Stemona Root) 20g, huangbo(cortex phellodendri)15g and shechuanzi (Common Cnidium Fruit)20g, baixianpi(Dictamni Cortex )30g, jingjie(Schizonepeta tenuifolia )20g. ) . 1 times every night, 1 week for 1 course, 2 courses of treatment. Results showed that 60 cases were cured, 6 cases improved, 2 cases were invalid, the total efficiency was 97% ^[4].

5. Postoperative cough: 32 cases were treated with baibusanshen decoction for aerosol inhalation (baibu (Large Tuber Stemona Root), taizishen (radix pseudostellariae), shashen (adenophora stricta), renshen (Panax ginseng), sangye (folium mori) ,etc). Results showed that 21 cases were remarkably effective, 9 cases were effective, 2 cases were invalid, the total efficiency was 93.8% ^[5].

1.       Tinea capitis

2.       Hair lice, and pediculosis pubis

3.       Loss of smell due to stuffy nose

4.       Sudden cough

5.       Retention of cough due to cold in the lung with slight phlegm

6.       Varied cough

7.       Pulmonary tuberculosis cavity

8.       Pediatric pertussis

clinical test:

[1] Ge rile. Clinical curative effects on Refractory hydrothorax treated with Chinese medicine in 26 cases. Nei Mongol Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine，2003，(6)：11.

[2] Longjiei. Experiences on Crabs disease in 103 cases. Chinese Journal of Human Sexuality，2006，15(1):35.

[3] Luo huayu. Cervical erosion treated with baibu(Large Tuber Stemona Root) powder.Henan Traditional Chinese Medicine，1997，17(4):249.

[4] Yan huijun，kong zhifeng. Tinea pedis treated with kushenbaibu washing decoction in 68 cases.Journal of Practical Traditional Chinese Internal Medicine，2003，17(6):468.

[5] Liu qingming. Postoperative cough treated with Chinese medicine for aerosol inhalation in 32 cases. Hunan journal of Chinese medicine，2004，20(6):37.