''Schlechtendalia chinensis'', the Chinese

sumac Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Eas ...

aphid, is an

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

species, and the only species in the genus ''Schlechtendalia''. The species produce

gall Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...

s on the Chinese sumac (''

Rhus chinensis ''Rhus chinensis'', the Chinese sumac or nutgall tree, is a deciduous shrub or small tree in the genus ''Rhus''. Growing to tall, it has downy shoots and leaves comprising several leaflets. These turn red in autumn before falling. The plant is ...

''). The gall is called ''Chinese gall'', ''Galla Chinensis'' or ''wu bei zi'' (五倍子) in Chinese. It is rich in gallotannins, a type of hydrolysable tannins. The infestation by Chinese sumac aphids can lead to a gall which is valued as a commercial product. Chinese galls are used in

Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

to treat

cough A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three ph ...

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin w ...

, night sweats,

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

and to stop intestinal and uterine bleeding."Aphid", Henry G. Stroyan, ''

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology McGraw Hill is an American educational publishing company and one of the "big three" educational publishers that publishes educational content, software, and services for pre-K through postgraduate education. The company also publishes refere ...

'', 8th Edition, 1997,

References

External links

Hemiptera of Asia Insects described in 1851 Eriosomatinae {{Aphididae-stub