The efficacy and function of red indigo

Red indigo is a kind of Chinese herbal medicine. We can use red indigo to treat many diseases, and it also has good health-preserving effects. Therefore, we can use the different medicinal effects of red indigo to solve some small problems that bother us in life.

【Other name】 Rock Perilla; White Perilla

[Source] Medicinal material source: the roots or stems and leaves of Coleus tricholoma, a plant of the Lamiaceae family.

[Original morphology] Hairy-calyx coleus, erect or ascending herb, 15-45cm high. Base woody; stem quadrangular, pubescent. Leaves are opposite; petiole 1-2.5cm long, densely pubescent; leaf blade ovate or nearly cordate, 2-5cm long, 1-4cm wide, obtuse at apex, shallowly cordate at base, with coarse crenate edges, nearly fleshy, and pubescent on both sides. The cymes are many-flowered, awake, mostly arranged in racemes or panicles, up to 15cm long; pedicels and rachis densely pubescent; calyx ovate-bell-shaped, about 2.5mm long, densely pubescent on the outside, increasing in size with fruit, up to 5-6mm long, calyx teeth 5, nearly equal, triangular, posterior teeth wider than the first 2; corolla purple or purple-blue, about 1.5cm long, sparsely pubescent and glandular dots on the outside, upper lip shallowly 4-lobed, outward-reflected, about 4mm long, lower lip up to 6mm long, boat-shaped; stamens 4, filaments hidden at base nearly connate to surround style base; style hidden; stigma 2-lobed; disk swollen in front. The nutlets are nearly round, black and smooth. The flowering period is from September to November, and the fruiting period is from October to December.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Grown in rocky places such as rocky mountains at an altitude of 1100-1800m, beside rocks in valleys or on grassland slopes.

[Chemical composition] The whole plant contains esquinolin B, C, D, taraxerol and cariocal, etc.

【Nature and flavor】 Spicy; Cool

【Functions and indications】 Clearing away heat and relieving exterior symptoms; removing phlegm and relieving cough; setting bones; stopping bleeding. It is mainly used for cold and fever; lung abscess; cough and hemoptysis due to fatigue; fractures due to falls; bleeding due to trauma

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decocted in water, 3-9g. For external use: take appropriate amount, mash and apply or grind into powder for application.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Above we introduced what red indigo is. We know that red indigo is a common Chinese herbal medicine with good health and wellness effects. It has many benefits to the human body and can relieve many symptoms. How about it, do you understand?