Is Astragalus membranaceus the same as Astragalus membranaceus?

Many people who go to Chinese medicine pharmacies to buy Chinese medicine will find that the counter not only sells Astragalus, but also Astragalus membranaceus which we are not familiar with. Many friends began to ask: Are Astragalus membranaceus and Astragalus membranaceus the same? In fact, Beiqi is also a type of Astragalus, but because of its origin and other issues, it is called Beiqi. If you are familiar with Astragalus, in fact, in addition to the northern Astragalus, there is also the southern Astragalus!

Astragalus can enhance human immunity and has the effects of strengthening the heart and anti-aging. Codonopsis pilosula is sweet and mild in taste, and has the effects of nourishing the spleen and stomach, moistening the lungs and producing body fluid, and strengthening the middle qi. However, many people have heard of Astragalus membranaceus and also know that there is a medicine called Beiqi, so many people are confused and don’t know what the differences and connections are between these two medicines. So, what is the difference between Astragalus and Beiqi, and how to distinguish them?

Beiqi is a type of Astragalus that grows in the north. There is also Southern Astragalus, which has similar efficacy to Northern Astragalus, but is not as warming, making it very suitable for tonic use in the south.

Huangqi is the correct name, while Beiqi is the name given by the place of origin. There are many Chinese medicinal herbs named after their place of origin or shape. For example, Chuanlian and Jizhaolian are both Coptis chinensis, named because they are produced in Sichuan and look like chicken feet. There are many nicknames for Astragalus, such as Beiqi, Jinqi (Jinjing Yulan), Mianqi, Erpi, Zhiqi, Hongqi, and so on.

People in the south call the astragalus produced in the north "Beiqi", but "Beiqi" and "Zhengbeiqi" are not the same thing. Zhengbei Astragalus can only be grown in Hunyuan, Shanxi. The saponin content it contains is several times that of other Astragalus, and it is also a national third-level protected plant.