Species study on Chinese medicine leech and discussion on its resource sustainable utilization

Abstract

Through systemically sorting and studying literature of Chinese medicine, this article pointed out that leech used by the traditional Chinese medicine in ancient time has the features of small, living in water, able to suck blood of animal and people. The species of leeches having these features were Hirudo nipponia Whitman, H. pulchra Song, Poecilobdella nanjingensis sp. Nov. , P. manillensis (Lesson) and P. hubeiensis Yang, which were not fully coincidence with the species recorded in Chinese Pharmacopeia of 2010 edition. We suggests that species of leech in Chinese Pharmacopeia be revised: H. nipponica Whitman should be kept, P. manillensis (Lesson) should be added in, Whitmania pigra Whitman and W. acranulata Whitma should be temporarily reserved, and H. pulchra Song, P. nanjingensis sp. Nov. , and P. hubeiensis Yang should be considered.