A Ginseng farm in Lawrence County, Tennessee

Abstract

American Ginseng, Panax quinquefolius L. (Araliaceae), is a herbaceous perennial of the eastern hardwoods of North America whose range extends, especially in the mountains, into southeastern United States (Fernald, 1950). In Tennessee, it is found principally in the eastern third of the state (Sharp et al., 1960), although it is known to occur also in several counties of Middle Tennessee. Because of their high market value, the roots of the herb have been collected since colonial times by local people who sell to dealers who ship the dried roots to China and Korea (Williams, 195 7). There they are used to prepare beverages and medicinal preparations believed to. be panaceas and aphrodisiacs (Harriman, 1973). In addition, it has been used locally in tea and liquor, primarily for digestive ailments. Chinese ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) has been held in highest esteem as a medicine in China for some 4,000 years (Stuart, 1911), and there exists a large Asian language literature on the pharmacological aspects of ginseng. A number of active constituents are recognized (Hu, 1976), each of which has been found to have a specific effect on the human body (Baranov, 1966). Despite the widespread acceptance of ginseng in Oriental medicine, West European and American physicians have, until recently, considered ginseng to lack any medicinal value whatsoever. However, several million people in Europe and North America are now taking ginseng in some form, and current research on the effect of the root is underway in several western countries as well as in the Soviet Union (Massey, 1976). Because of the great demand and the dwindling supply of wild ginseng, the cultivation of the plant began several centuries ago. The earliest plantations were in south-