''Schlechtendalia chinensis'', the Chinese
sumac aphid, is an
aphid 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''). The gall is called ''Chinese gall'', ''Galla Chinensis'' or ''wu bei zi'' (五倍子) in Chinese. It is rich in
gallotannin A gallotannin is any of a class of molecules belonging to the hydrolysable tannins. Gallotannins are polymers formed when gallic acid, a polyphenol monomer, esterifies and binds with the hydroxyl group of a polyol carbohydrate such as glucose.
Meta ...
s, 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 to treat
coughs,
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 wi ...
, 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 referenc ...
'', 8th Edition, 1997,
References
External links
Hemiptera of Asia
Insects described in 1851
Eriosomatinae
{{Aphididae-stub