The efficacy and function of Hangzhou Shepherd's Purse

I don’t know if you are familiar with Hangzhou shepherd’s purse and whether you understand its effects and functions. Let’s analyze in detail the value and eating methods of Hangzhou shepherd’s purse.

【English name】 Hangchow Mosla

[Source] Medicinal material source: the whole herb of Capsella truncatula, a plant of the Lamiaceae family.

[Original form] Hangzhou Shepherd's Purse, annual herb, 50-60cm tall. The stem is erect, quadrangular, and covered with short soft hairs and glandular dots. Leaves are opposite, petioles are 0.5-1.4cm long, covered with short soft hairs and glandular dots; leaf blades are lanceolate, 1.5-4.2cm long, 0.5-1.3cm wide, acute at the apex, broadly cuneate at the base, sparsely serrated at the margin, and covered with short soft hairs and glandular dots on both sides. The cymes are 2-flowered, forming an organic pseudoraceme on the main stem and side branches, 1-4cm long, with dense flowers sometimes not arranged very closely; the bracts are large, imbricately arranged, broadly ovate or nearly rounded, 5-6mm long, 4-5mm wide, with acute or caudal apex, glandular dots below, and eyelashes on the margin; the calyx is campanulate, about 5mm long, with acute or caudal apex, glandular dots below, and eyelashes on the margin; the calyx is campanulate, about 3.5mm long, sparsely pubescent outside, with 5 calyx teeth, and the posterior teeth are slightly longer; the corolla is purple, 3 times the length of the calyx, about 1cm long, pubescent outside, the upper lip is slightly emarginate, the lower lip is 3-lobed, the middle lobe is large and rounded, pubescent inside, and the lateral lobes are smaller and ovate; the stamens are 4, the posterior pair is fertile, slightly protruding, the filaments are glabrous, the anthers are 2-locular, the connective is obvious, and the anterior pair is sterile; the ovary is 4-lobed, the style is basal, and the stigma is 2-lobed. The nutlets are spherical, light brown, with deep pits. The flowering period is from June to August, and the fruiting period is from July to September.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: grows on hillsides and roadsides.

[Properties] Identification of properties: the stem is thin square columnar, much branched, 20-42cm long, gray-green or purple on the surface, covered with downward soft hairs, and brittle in texture. The leaves are opposite, curled and wrinkled, lanceolate when flattened, 1.5-4.2cm long, 0.5-1.3cm wide, with short soft hairs and glandular dots on both sides. The flowers are mostly wrinkled into a ball, and the corolla is light purple. The nutlets are spherical, brown in color, and have reticular wrinkles. It has a fragrant smell and tastes spicy and cool.

[Chemical composition] 28 components were separated from the volatile oil of the whole plant, and 11 components have been identified: α-thujene, β-myrcene, limonene, p-cymene, α-thujylalcohol, linalool, 4-terpinenol (terpinenol-4), carvacrol, thymol, eugenol and α-bergamotene.

【Nature and flavor】 Spicy; neutral

【Functions and indications】 Releases heat; dispels summer heat; harmonizes the middle; detoxifies. Mainly used for colds; swollen throat; heatstroke; vomiting; indigestion; vaginal itching; skin itching

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoction, 6-15g. For external use: appropriate amount, decocted in water or distilled liquid for washing.

[Discussions by various scholars] "Xinhua Compendium of Materia Medica": It has the functions of inducing sweat, relieving exterior symptoms, harmonizing the middle and eliminating dampness. Used for summer-heat and dampness cold, aversion to cold, fever without sweating, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the above introduction, I found that Hangzhou shepherd's purse has so many pharmacological effects, and it also has good effects on some diseases. In fact, there may be many "treasures" around our lives, but most of the time we don’t have a heart that is good at discovering them.