The efficacy and function of Pihancao

Everyone is familiar with Bihancao. It has a long history and has good effects on regulating the body and treating diseases. It is a good choice for health preservation. Let’s take a look together.

[Other names] Wild alfalfa, Shinagawa hagi, Radish hagi (Illustrated Description of Major Plants in China, Leguminosae), Iron Broom (Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica), Sanxuecao (Shaanxi Plant Medicine Survey), Provincial Head Grass, Wild Longevity Fruit, Chicken Head Flower Grass (Common Chinese Herbal Medicines in Shanghai), Chicken Lice Grass (Common Chinese Herbal Medicines in Sichuan), Yellow Flowered Grass Osmanthus (Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicines), Stinky alfalfa, Defeated Poison Grass (Shaanxi Chinese Herbal Medicines), Fragrant Horse Material (Identification of Major Wild Medicinal Plants in Heilongjiang Province and New Preparations of Chinese Herbal Medicines), Zhendongshali (Korean name).

[Source] It is the whole herb of the leguminous plant Melilotifolia . Harvest the whole grass during flowering period and dry it in the shade.

[Original form] Melilotus officinalis (from "Notes on Herbs") is a biennial or annual herb, 60 to 120 cm tall. The stem is erect and much branched. 3-pinnate compound leaves, alternate; leaflets elliptic or oblanceolate, 10-15 mm long, about 5 mm wide, base cuneate, apex obtuse, margin sparsely serrated from base upwards; rachis 1-2 cm long; stipules linear, about 5 mm long. The racemes are axillary or terminal, long and slender, with many flowers; the flowers are small, 3-4 mm long, with bracts and short stalks; the calyx is campanulate, 5-lobed; the corolla is butterfly-shaped, yellow, the standard petal is oblong, longer than the wing petals, and the wing petals are obtuse; there are 10 stamens, 9 of which are united; there is 1 carved stamen. The pods are obovate, drooping, reticulate and glabrous. Single seed. Flowering period is from May to July. The fruiting period is from August to September.

[Habitat distribution] Grown in sand dunes, hillsides, grasslands and seashores. Distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia and other places.

[Chemical composition] Melilotus contains volatile oil, coumarin, 3.5-6.3% fatty oil, 7.1% pectin and 3.16% lignin. The dry stem contains 2-3% oil.

[Pharmacological action] Melilotus has antimalarial effect: it can reduce the number of red blood cells infected by protozoa in chicken malaria. With proper medication, blood smear test can become negative. It can destroy the morphology of malarial parasites and kill them, but its destruction method is different from that of radix scutellariae, beet, quinine, etc. Indian sweet osmanthus is edible coumarin, which is not very toxic in small amounts, but in large amounts can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, cardiac depression and cold limbs. Horses, sheep and other livestock may become paralyzed if they eat too much of this grass. White vanilla contains alfalfa phenol, so it can prolong blood clotting time. Extracts from leaves, stems and roots can inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The root contains saponins, which have hemolytic effect (at pH 5.6).

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter, cool.

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat, detoxifies, eliminates dampness and kills insects. Treats chest tightness due to summer heat, malaria, dysentery, gonorrhea, and skin sores.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 3 to 5 qian. For external use: burning or fumigation.

[Additional prescription] ① For treating malaria: one liang of sweet oatstraw. Decoction. Take one hour before a malaria attack. (Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine)

[Note] Plants of the same genus, Indian sweet osmanthus (also known as snake molt grass) and white sweet osmanthus (also known as white flower sweet osmanthus) are also used as sweat-resistant grass in Guizhou, Shaanxi and other places. The Indian herbaceous plant is 10 to 50 cm tall; the leaves have fine teeth above the middle; the flowers are 2 to 3 mm long. Distributed in Southwest China, East China and other places. The plant of white vanilla osmanthus is 1 to 4 meters tall; the corolla is white. Distributed in Northwest China, Northeast China and Guizhou.

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From "Illustrated Catalogue of Plant Names and Realities". "Illustrated Catalogue of Plant Names and Realities": Bihan grass is found everywhere. It grows in clumps, more than a foot tall, with three leaves on one branch, like red bean leaves, and small yellow flowers like water osmanthus in summer. Many people pick it and put it in their hair to prevent sweat.

Everyone should know about the medicinal value of Pihancao. We should pay more attention to information in this area so that we can be prepared when encountering problems and avoid panic.