The efficacy and function of Selaginella nigra

Everyone is familiar with Selaginella nigra. It has a long history and has good effects on regulating the body and treating diseases. It is a good choice for health preservation. Let’s take a look together.

【English name】 Blacktop Spikemoss

[Other names] Red bone grass, horsetail grass, 100-leaf grass, chicken foot grass

[Source] Medicinal material source: the whole herb of Selaginella nigra, a plant of the Selaginellaceae family.

【Original morphology】 The plant height is about 30-60cm. The main stem is upright and the top turns black after drying. The leaves are neatly bipinnate, with oblong-lanceolate pinnae, about 15cm long and caudate at the apex; pinnules are usually solitary, about 2.5-5cm long, spreading and close to each other; lateral leaves are closely connected, oblong-lanceolate, sickle-shaped, with obtuse tip, about 4mm long, about 1.5mm wide, bright green, without cilia, nearly petiolate, cuneate on the upper side of the base, rounded on the lower side, and nearly entire leaf margin; middle leaf is obliquely oblong, 1.5-2mm long, 0.5mm wide, with nearly caudate tip at the apex, and grayish white above. The sporangium spike is attached to the tip of the pinnules, is quadrangular, long-tailed, 6-12mm long and about 1.5mm in diameter; the sporophylls are ovate, with a tail tip, and the main vein is raised and keel-shaped. The sporangium is round and kidney-shaped, with the megasporangium growing at the lower part of the spike and the microsporangium growing at the upper part of the spike.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Grown in the shade under dense forests in mountains.

【Nature and flavor】 Light; astringent; neutral

[Entry into Meridians] Enters the lung, stomach, and large intestine meridians

【Functions and indications】 Cooling blood and detoxifying; relieving pain. Mainly used for measles, dysentery, coughing up blood, vomiting blood, bleeding due to trauma, chest pain, stomach pain, and traumatic injury

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoction, 10-15g. For external use: grind into powder and apply on the affected area.

[Discussions by various scholars] "Xinhua Compendium of Materia Medica": The whole plant has a light taste, is astringent and has a neutral nature. It has the functions of cooling blood and stopping bleeding, relieving inflammation and pain, and relaxing muscles and tendons. It is used for coughing up blood, vomiting blood, stomach pain, dysentery, bruises and traumatic bleeding.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the introduction of the effects and functions of Selaginella nigra, everyone knows its magic. In fact, there are many seemingly ordinary people or things in life that contain power that we cannot imagine. Now that everyone knows the magical therapeutic effects and functions of Selaginella nigra, you can try it to test whether it is effective.