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The Zhi mu (Anemarrhena asphodeloides) belongs to Liliaceae (the Lily family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed from China to Mongolia. It grows in sunny, somewhat dry mountainous areas and grows 60 to 90 cm tall. It is said to have been introduced to Japan for medicinal purposes around the Kyoho period (1716-1736) during the Edo period. The leaves are broadly linear and grow in clusters from the ground. Around May to June, a flower scape is produced, with white-yellow to pale blue-purple flowers blooming at the top. The fruit is an oblong capsule. The rhizome is used as a crude drug and has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, sedative, and diuretic effects. In Chinese, it is called "知母" (zhi mu).
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