The efficacy and function of bottle ear grass

We can often see bottle ear grass in daily life, so how should we eat bottle ear grass? What good effects does it have on our body? Let's take a look.

【English Name】 Herba Ophioglossi

[Other names] Single-leafed spear, contradictory grass, snake bite

[Source] It is a small grass of the Ophioglossum vulgatum L. of the Ophioglossaceae family . Harvested in summer and autumn, sun-dried or used fresh.

[Original form] Perennial small herb, up to 20cm tall. The rhizome is short, fleshy, erect, cylindrical, and clustered with yellow fleshy roots. Leaves are heteromorphic, often solitary; petiole emerges from the top of the rhizome, 5 to 15 cm long, with the lower part deeply buried in the soil; sterile leaves emerge from the base of the petiole with a sharp or obtuse point, a long cuneate base, entire, sessile, slightly fleshy, and obvious fleshy veins. The sporangium grows from the top of the stalk, the stalk is 6 to 17 cm long, the spike is 2.5 to 4 cm long, narrow and strip-shaped, 2 to 3 mm wide, with a small tip on the top, and splits into two lobes when the spores are mature; the spores are nearly smooth.

[Habitat distribution] Growing under forests and in muddy and swampy areas. Distributed in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the southwest, Hubei, Shaanxi, and Taiwan.

[Chemical composition] Contains quercetin (3-O-methyl-quercetin-7-O-diglucoside-4'-O-glucoside).

[Nature and flavor] Cool in nature, slightly sweet and sour in taste.

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat, detoxifies, and relieves cough. Used for snake bites, carbuncles, colds and fevers, pneumonia, and stomachaches.

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

Through the introduction in this article, we can learn some relevant knowledge about bottle ear grass. Whether from the perspective of food health or traditional Chinese medicine, the role of bottle ear grass cannot be underestimated.