title: [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.
authors.affiliation: China Institute of Chinese Material Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Rui-Xian
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Zhong-Zhi
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007865:Leeches / Q000145:classification*; D008513:Medicine in Literature; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional