The efficacy and function of ant flower root

As for Ant Flower Root, I think some people may have heard of it or even taken it. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t heard of it. Next, I will introduce Ant Flower Root to you.

【English name】 Osbeckia nepalensis Hook.f.

【Other name】 Wild peony root

[Source] Medicinal material source: The root of the ant flower of the Melastomataceae family.

[Original form] Upright subshrub or shrub, 0.6-1.5m high. The stem is quadrangular, and the stem, petiole and leaves are densely covered with strigosus hairs. Leaves are opposite; petioles are extremely short, 1-4mm long; leaf blades are hard and papery, oblong-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 5-13cm long, 1.5-3.8cm wide, acuminate at apex, cordate to obtuse at base, entire, ciliate, with 5 basal veins. The inflorescence is composed of panicles, terminal; bracts are leaf-like; pedicels are short or almost absent; calyx is about 2 cm long, with comb-like prickly protrusions on the outside of the calyx tube and between the lobes, lobes are 5, oblong, as long as the calyx tube, glabrous on both sides, with ciliate margins; petals are 5, red to pink, rarely purple-red, broadly obovate, oblique, 1.5-2.5 cm long, with ciliate margins in the upper half; stamens are 10, often inclined to one side, filaments slightly longer than anthers, anthers with short beaks, connective base slightly swollen and disc-shaped, with short spurs; ovary is semi-inferior, 5-chambered, ovoid-globose, with a circle of short bristles at the apex, and densely strigose hairs in the upper half. The capsule is ovoid-spherical, with 5 longitudinal cracks, about 8mm long and 6mm in diameter. The persistent calyx is in the shape of an altar, with a flat tip, about 8mm long, and densely combed prickles on the outside. The flowering period is from August to October, and the fruiting period is from September to December.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Grown in open hillside grasslands, bushes, roadsides and field edges at an altitude of 550-1900m. It is also found in the edge of sparse woods and moist places beside streams.

[Properties] Identification of properties: The roots are curved and slender, with a brown or dark brown surface, longitudinal wrinkles, and occasional fibrous roots. The roots are about 2.8 cm long and 0.1-1.2 cm in diameter. The main root is thick and has fewer lateral roots. The root top is swollen and has fluffy hairs at the junction with the stem. The hairs are yellowish brown. The roots are tough, not easy to break, and the cross section is yellow and fibrous.

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter; astringent; cool

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat and dampness; reduces swelling. It is used for damp-heat jaundice, diarrhea, and swelling caused by trauma.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 9-12g. For external use: take appropriate amount and mash it for application.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

After understanding some of the effects and common knowledge of ant flower root, I hope everyone will use scientific methods in the process of consumption to make it play a greater role.