Home > Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine > Scallion

Description

A variety of onion, the scallion (Allii fistulosi) is a pointy-leafed perennial that can reach about 20 inches in height. The herb has been a popular remedy in Asian folk medicine for thousands of years, having been first described about 2,000 years ago in the Chinese herbal classic Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing. The plant, which flourishes in warm climates, is native to Asia but has been found growing in many parts of the world.

While the scallion's fresh bulb is the part that is most often used as a drug, the entire plant is believed to have medicinal properties. Scallion, which belongs to the Liliaceae family, is sometimes called green onion, spring onion, Welsh onion, or Japanese bunching onion. The scallion bulb is called Cong Bai in Chinese and the root of the scallion is called Cong Xu.

General use

While not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or...