''Schlechtendalia chinensis'', the Chinese

sumac Sumac or sumach ( , )—not to be confused with poison sumac—is any of the roughly 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' (and related genera) of the cashew and mango tree family, Anacardiaceae. However, it is '' Rhus coriaria ...

aphid, is an

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...

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. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to benign tumors or war ...

s on the Chinese sumac ('' Rhus chinensis''). 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. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence of effectiveness or ...

to treat

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

diarrhea Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration d ...

, night sweats,

dysentery Dysentery ( , ), 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 may include dehyd ...

and to stop intestinal and uterine bleeding."Aphid", Henry G. Stroyan, '' McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology'', 8th Edition, 1997,

References

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