The efficacy and function of snapdragon

The development of Western medicine has brought some crises to traditional Chinese medicine. But traditional Chinese medicine still has many magical aspects. Let’s talk about the effects and functions of the traditional Chinese medicine snapdragon.

【English name】 Common Snapdragon

[Other names] Fragrant bird, dragon head vegetable, foreign bird, dragon mouth flower

[Source] Medicinal material source: the whole herb of Antirrhinum majus of the Scrophulariaceae family.

[Original form] Perennial herb, up to 80cm tall. The stem is erect, sometimes woody at the base, with glandular hairs in the middle and upper parts, and sometimes branched at the base. The lower leaves are often opposite, and the upper leaves are often alternate; with short petioles; the leaf blades are lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 2-6cm long, glabrous, with a pointed apex, a cuneate base, and entire margins. The raceme is terminal and densely covered with glandular hairs; the pedicel is 5-7mm long; the calyx is nearly as long as the pedicel, with 5 deeply lobed lobes, ovate, obtuse or acute; the corolla has a variety of colors, from red, purple to white, 3-5cm long, the base extends downward in the front into a hood shape, the upper lip is upright, wide, 2-cleft, the lower lip is 3-lobed, and bulges towards the upper lip in the middle, closing the throat and making the corolla appear mask-like; there are 4 stamens, didynamous. The capsule is ovate, about 15mm long, with a strong crack at the base extending forward, covered with glandular hairs, and a pore crack at the tip.

[Habitat distribution] Cultivated in gardens in various places, sometimes growing wild. Native to southern Europe.

[Chemical composition] The whole plant contains an-tirrhinoside, an iridoid component[1], and some branched chain fatty acids[2].

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter; Cool

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat and detoxifies; promotes blood circulation and reduces swelling. Mainly used for sprains and injuries; sores and swellings

[Usage and Dosage] For external use: take appropriate amount of fresh product and mash it for application. For internal use: decoction, 15-30g.

[Discussions by various scholars] "Xinhua Compendium of Materia Medica": Whole plant: bitter in taste, cool in nature. It has the functions of clearing away heat and detoxifying, cooling blood and reducing swelling. For external use, it is used for bruises, sprains, sores and swellings.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

This is the end of the introduction to the medicinal value of snapdragon. In fact, snapdragon has many different effects when used medicinally, all of which have significant benefits to the human body. Everyone can try it.