《中国植物志》|| 紫草科 BORAGINACEAE ||紫草属 Lithospermum L. ||紫草 Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. & Zucc.

1．紫草（本草经）图版4：6-10
Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc. in Abh. Bayer, Akad. Wiss. 4 (3): 149. 1846; Hara in Bot. Mag. Tokyo 51: 50. 1937; Kitag. Lineam. Fl. Mansh. 37. 1939; Johnst. in Journ. Arn. Arb. 33: 341. 1952; 东北植物检索表304. 1959; 中国高等植物图鉴3: 551. 图5056. 1974;朱格麟, 植物分类学报20(3): 324. 1982. ——L. officinale L. subsp. erythrorhizon (Sieb. et Zucc. ) Hand. -Mazz. Symb. Sin. 7: 817. 1936.
多年生草本，根富含紫色物质。茎通常1-3条，直立，高40-90厘米，有贴伏和开展的短糙伏毛，上部有分枝，枝斜升并常稍弯曲。叶无柄，卵状披针形至宽披针形，长3-8厘米，宽7-17毫米，先端渐尖，基部渐狭，两面均有短糙伏毛，脉在叶下面凸起，沿脉有较密的糙伏毛。花序生茎和枝上部，长2-6厘米，果期延长；苞片与叶同形而较小；花萼裂片线形，长约4毫米，果期可达9毫米，背面有短糙伏毛；花冠白色，长7-9毫米，外面稍有毛，筒部长约4毫米，檐部与筒部近等长，裂片宽卵形，长2.5-3毫米，开展，全缘或微波状，先端有时微凹，喉部附属物半球形，无毛；雄蕊着生花冠筒中部稍上，花丝长约0.4毫米，花药长1-1.2毫米；花柱长2.2-2.5毫米，柱头头状。小坚果卵球形，乳白色或带淡黄褐色，长约3.5毫米，平滑，有光泽，腹面中线凹陷呈纵沟。花果期6-9月。
产辽宁、河北、山东、山西、河南、江西、湖南、湖北、广西北部、贵州、四川、陕西至甘肃东南部。生于山坡草地。朝鲜、日本也有分布。
根含紫草素，可入药，治麻疹不透、斑疹、便秘、腮腺炎等症；外用治烧烫伤。
本种与小花紫草L. officinale L.有较近的亲缘关系。Handel-Mazzetti 1936年将本种降为后者的亚种，我们研究了两个种的大量标本之后，看到本种与后者除具有在检索表中所反映的不同点之外，还发现后者在我国甘肃中部、宁夏和内蒙古有一个间断的地区，而且与本种之间没有过渡类型和杂交后代，在药用价值上也截然不同。因此，我们认为本种应为一个独立种。

《Flora of China》|| Boraginaceae || Lithospermum ||紫草 Lithospermum erythrorhizon

1. Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zuccarini, Abh. Math.-Phys. Cl. Königl. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. 4(3): 149. 1846.

紫草 zi cao

Lithospermum officinale Linnaeus subsp. erythrorhizon (Siebold & Zuccarini) Handel-Mazzetti.

Herbs perennial. Roots dark red, with a copious purple dye. Stems usually 1-3, erect, appressed or spreading, branching distally, 40-90 cm tall, short strigose; branches ascending, frequently slightly curved. Leaves sessile, ovate-lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 3-8 × 0.7-1.7 cm, short strigose, base attenuate, apex acuminate; veins prominent abaxially, more densely strigose. Inflorescences terminal, 2-6 cm, elongated in fruit; bracts similar to leaves but smaller. Calyx lobes linear, ca. 4 mm, to 9 mm in fruit, short strigose outside. Corolla white, 7-9 mm, sparsely pubescent outside; tube ca. 4 mm; throat appendages semiglobose, glabrous; limb ca. as long as tube; lobes spreading, broadly ovate, 2.5-3 mm, margin entire or subundulate, apex sometimes retuse. Stamens inserted slightly above middle of corolla tube; filaments ca. 0.4 mm; anthers 1-1.2 mm. Style 2.2-2.5 mm. Nutlets white or pale yellowish brown, ovoid, ca. 3.5 mm, smooth, shiny, concave adaxially with center line forming a longitudinal groove. Fl. and fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 28.

Meadows on slopes. SE Gansu, N Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan [Japan, Korea, E Russia]

The roots are used in Chinese medicine.