Pharmacognostical Studies on the Chinese Crude Drug 'Gu Maig'

한약 "구맥(瞿麥)"의 생약학적 연구

'Gu Maig(瞿麥)' is one of the Chinese crude drugs used mainly to cure a diuretic, gonorhoea and menostasis, etc. With regard to the botanical origin of 'Gu Maig', it has been considered to be Dianthus spp. of Caryophyllaceae, but there has not been studied pharmacognostically. To clarify the botanical origin of the "Gu Maig", the morphological and anatomical characteristics of the leaves and stems of Dianthus species growing in Korea, i.e. D. sinensis, D. superbus var. longicalycinus, D. repens, D. morii, D. superbus var. speciosus were compared. As a result, it was determined that 'Gu Maig' was the whole plant body of Dianthus sinensis and D. superbus var. longicalycinus.