The efficacy and function of snow ginseng

As a traditional Chinese medicine, do you know the medicinal value of snow ginseng? How does traditional Chinese medicine use snow ginseng to treat diseases? And what should you pay attention to when using snow ginseng to treat diseases in daily life? Don't worry, we will answer them one by one for you.

[Alias] Red-haired ginseng, sea cucumber, ginseng, chicken-foot ginseng, and wild Korean ginseng.

[Source] Medicinal material source: Meconopsis racemose Hook. f. Root of etThoms. var. racemosa (Maxim.) Prain.

[Original morphology] Meconopsis racemose is an annual herb, about 40cm tall. The whole plant is covered with yellowish-brown or light yellow hard and flat spines, sometimes with purple bases. The taproot is up to 20cm long. Stem cylindrical, unbranched. The basal leaves and lower stem leaves are petiolate, 3-8cm long; the leaf blades are oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate to linear, 5-20cm long, 0.7-4.2cm wide, with acute or obtuse apex, narrow cuneate base, extending down to the base of the petiole and nearly sheath-shaped, entire or wavy, rarely with irregular coarse serrations, green on both sides, and covered with prickles; the upper stem leaves are short-petioled to sessile, and the leaf blades are oblong-lanceolate, sometimes linear. The flowers are borne in the axils of the leaves above the upper 1/3 of the stem, the uppermost ones are without bracts, and sometimes grow on mixed scapes; the pedicels are 2-5cm long; the sepals are oblong-ovate, with prickles on the outside; the petals are 5-8, obovate-oblong, 2-3cm long, 1-2cm wide, sky blue or blue-purple, sometimes red, and glabrous; the stamens are numerous, the filaments are filiform, purple, and the anthers are oblong, yellow; the ovary is ovate, with 4-6 carpels, densely covered with prickles, the style is conical, angular, glabrous, and the stigma is oblong. The capsule is ovate or oblong ovate, densely covered with spines, with 4-6 petals splitting from the tip to 1/3 of the total length, and the persistent style is 0.7-1cm long. The seeds are oblong, with window-like reticular patterns on the surface, and the receptacle is swollen into a disc shape. The flowering period is from May to August, and the fruiting period is from July to November.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Growing on grass slopes, rock slopes or under forests at an altitude of 3000-4900m.

[Properties] Identification of properties: The root is twisted conical, 9-25cm long and 0.5-2.5cm in diameter. The surface is brown or grayish yellow. The root end still has the remnants of leaf base and yellow hairs, with annular patterns on the upper side and longitudinal wrinkles in the middle and lower parts. The texture is brittle and easy to break; the cross section is loose and blister-like, and pale yellowish white. It has a slight odor and tastes sweet and slightly bitter. The ones that are thick and sweet are better.

【Nature and flavor】 sweet; warm

【Entry】 Spleen; Kidney meridian

【Functions and indications】Tonify Qi and benefit the kidneys. Mainly used for chronic diarrhea, rectal prolapse, loss of appetite, blood in stool, edema, chronic cough, asthma, vertigo and night blindness

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoction, 6-12g.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the above, we have learned about the effects and functions of the traditional Chinese medicine snow ginseng. I hope everyone can find the right medicine and consume snow ginseng correctly in life.