Isatis indigotica Identity & Plant Part
The botanical entity is Isatis indigotica Fortune ex Lindl., a biennial herb of the Brassicaceae grown for its leaves and roots. The part used is the leaf. The root, sold as ban lan gen, is a separate drug and a separate product here. Several other plants are sold regionally under the name da qing ye, so the species has to be named. The leaf carries indole compounds, including indigo precursors that give woad its dye history, together with glucosinolate-derived compounds and organic acids, named here without figures.












