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Description

Epimedium is a genus of 21 species and is a member of the buttercup family. Epimedium is a woody, pungent ornamental herb found in western and eastern Asia and the Mediterranean. Various hybrids are grown elsewhere and most often are used as groundcover, particularly in shady areas. The herb also goes by the name horny goat weed and barrenwort. The Chinese call it Yin Yang Huo, which means "licentious goat plant."

The plant was named epimedium because it is akin to a plant found in the ancient southwest Asian kingdom of Media, now a part of Iran. Plants used for medicinal purposes include Epimedium sagittatum, Epimedium brevicornum, Epimedium wushanense, Epimedium koreanum, and Epimedium pubescens.

General use

The use of epimedium as a medicinal herb dates back thousands of years. Shen Nong's Canon of Medicinal Herbs, compiled around 400 A.D., mentions...