[Pharmacognostic identification of medicinal Asteropyrum plants in China].
OBJECTIVE: To offer evidences for quality control of medicinal Asteropyrum plants. METHOD: Pharmacognostic studies were made through field collection, market investigation, document utilization, comparative morphology and histology. RESULT: The shape and properties, microscopic characteristics in root, rhizome, leaves were worked out. CONCLUSION: Asteropyrum can be distinguished from close relative Coptis plants by microscopic and histology characteristics. Two species in Asteropyrum can also be identified by microscopic and histology characteristics, and the morphological and histology characteristics can be used as evidences for quality control of medicinal Asteropyrum plants.