The efficacy and function of the spoon tree

For many Chinese people, traditional Chinese medicine is very trustworthy because it has a long history and few side effects. The spoon tree is a common Chinese medicinal material. It has many benefits for human health. So how can we eat the spoon tree? Let’s learn about it below.

[Source] Medicinal material source: the root bark or leaves of the Proteaceae plant.

【Original form】 Tree, 15-20m high. Young branches and leaves are covered with rusty hairs. Leaves are bimorphic, leathery; petioles of entire leaves are 4-5cm long; leaf blades are oblong, 10-25cm long, 5-7cm wide, with short acuminate apex, cuneate base, raised veins underneath, and obvious reticulate veins; petioles of lobed leaves are 4-8cm long; leaf blades are nearly elliptical in outline, 20-60cm long, 20-40cm wide, usually with 2-8 pairs of deep pinnate lobes, sometimes 3 lobes. The flowers are unisexual, radially symmetrical, and the inflorescences are born in the axils of fallen leaves of twigs; the male inflorescence is 7-12cm long and hairy, the male flower bracts are lanceolate, the perianth tube is 8-12mm long, light yellow, and sparsely hairy; the anther is about 2mm long, with 4 glands, the sterile ovary is not enlarged, and the top of the style is not thickened; the female inflorescence is 2-5cm long and hairy, the female flower perianth tube is about 1cm long and sparsely hairy, the sterile anther is about 1.5mm long, with 4 glands, the ovary is ovate, the top of the flower branch is thickened, and the stigma surface is biased to one side. The drupe is oval, ovate or ovate-oval, slightly flattened on both sides, 7-9cm long, with a leathery exocarp that is yellow-green in color, a fleshy mesocarp that has dense soft fibers left after drying, and a woody endocarp. The flowering period is from May to July, and the fruiting period is from November to December.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Grown in tropical moist broad-leaved forests in mountains, valleys and stream banks at an altitude of 50-750m.

【Nature and flavor】 Light; astringent; cool; slightly toxic

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat and detoxifies. Mainly mumps; dermatitis

[Usage and Dosage] For external use: take appropriate amount and mash it for application; or grind the dry product into powder and mix with vinegar for application.

[Discussions by various scholars] "Xinhua Compendium of Materia Medica" Root bark and leaves: light taste, astringent, cool in nature, slightly toxic. It has the function of clearing away heat and detoxifying. Used for mumps and other diseases. Mainly for external use.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the above, we have learned about the effects and functions of the Chinese medicine spoon tree. I hope everyone can prescribe the right medicine and eat the spoon tree correctly in life.