Effects and functions of Alnus

I believe many people are familiar with the Chinese medicinal material Alnus. As a common Chinese medicinal material, Alnus is rich in nutrients. Let us learn about it in detail.

[Other names] Papaya tree, papaya tree, water winter fruit

[Source] The young branches, leaves and bark of Alnus poplar , a plant of the Betulaceae family. Harvested in spring and autumn.

[Original form] Deciduous tree, up to 20 meters high. The bark is light purple-brown, rough and irregularly cracked; the one-year-old branches are light ochre-brown and smooth and hairless, while the two-year-old branches are brown and slightly lighter; the lenticels are obvious and grayish white. The leaves are alternate, elliptical to obovate-elliptical, gradually pointed or sharply pointed at the apex, cuneate at the base, 6 to 12 cm long, 3.5 to 5 cm wide, with sharp serrations on the margins and grooves on the petioles. The flowers are unisexual and monoecious, opening before the leaves; male flowers are in catkins; female flowers are in spikes. The fruit cluster is oval, dark brown, about 2 cm long, and 1 to 4 are born on a thick stalk. Nutlets broadly elliptic to obovate, narrowly winged. Flowering period is early spring. The fruit ripens in July.

[Habitat distribution] Grown in ravines, river banks and hillsides. Distributed in Northeast China, Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangdong and other places.

[Chemical composition] Contains various triterpenoids such as lupenone, α-amyrin, β-amyrin, mycophenolic acid, taraxacyl alcohol, betulinic acid, etc.; there are also β-sitosterol, heptacosane, aliphatic alcohol and pyrocatechol tannins.

【Nature and flavor】 Bitter, cool.

【Functions and indications】 Clears away heat and reduces fire.

[Additional prescription] ①Treatment of persistent nosebleed: 1 liang of alder bark. Boil it into thick soup and take it with sugar.

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From the "Album of Chinese Herbal Medicine and Folk Prescriptions for War Preparation".

I believe that the above introduction to the knowledge about Alnus will give you a better understanding of Alnus. We can eat alder in our daily life to regulate and improve our body.