Aucklandia lappa is a plant whose rhizome

Rhizome

In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...

 is commonly used in Traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...

. Compounds in the rhizome are thought to have anti-fungal, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties. Dehydrocostuslactone and costunolide have been isolated from the rhizome.

Pathogens

• Phytophthora tentaculata
  Phytophthora tentaculata
  Phytophthora tentaculata is a plant pathogen that causes root and stalk rot. It was first isolated in 1993 in a nursery in Germany infecting Chrysanthemum, Verbena and Delphinium ajacis. It has since been found infecting a Verbena in Majorca, Spain in June 2001 but was thought to be restricted to...
  
  

The root of the plant is called mu xiang in Chinese, and is used to treat problems of the stomach and Qi. Aucklandia Root