Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels in China: distribution, cultivation, utilization and variation

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels has been cultivated and used in China for more than 2000 years. Its root is an important traditional Chinese medicine mainly used for tonifying blood and for treatment of anemia, rheumatism, and menstrual problems. Cultivated populations of this crop are distributed in the Gansu, Yunnan, Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Hubei provinces of China. Today it is used not only for its medicinal properties, but also as a health food product, a dietary supplement, and in cosmetics. Cultivated A. sinensis can be divided into green-stemmed and purple-stemmed phenotypes according to morphological traits. The classification of the two phenotypes was supported by AFLP data. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that genetic diversity was greater within populations (80.53%) than among populations (19.47%).