The efficacy and function of Guizhou pepper

Guizhou pepper is a very common Chinese medicine in our daily life. It is also very important in our daily life. However, some people don’t know much about the efficacy and functions of Guizhou pepper, so let us learn about it in detail below.

[Other names] Longbei pepper, rock pepper, Wenshan rock pepper, dog pepper

[Source] Medicinal material source: the fruit or leaves of the Rutaceae plant Zanthoxylum bungeanum.

【Original form】 Shrub, 2-3m high. The stems and branches have short prickles, which are straight and horizontal and 2-3mm long. The odd-pinnate compound leaves are alternate, papery to thickly papery, 12-21cm long including the petiole; the petiole is 4-6cm long; the petiolules are 4-6mm long; the leaflets are 7-11, ovate-oblong or ovate, 5-11cm long, 1.5-3.5cm wide, with a long tail-like acuminate tip, blunt and slightly concave, base cuneate, slightly unequal on both sides, with fine round serrations on the margins, glandular dots between the teeth, dark green and shiny above, green and glabrous below. The corymb panicle is terminal, up to 6 cm long; the bracts are small; the sepals are 4, broadly ovate, pointed at the end, 1-1.5 mm long, the petals are 4, oblong, 3.5-4 mm long; the male flowers have 4 stamens, 5-6 mm long; the reduced carpels are elongated, with 2 forked apex; the female flowers have no reduced stamens, 4 carpels, elongated style, and the stigma is capitate. Follicles, 2-4 mature carpels, red to purple, with a beak-like tip, up to 1mm long. The seeds are ovoid, 4.5-6mm in diameter, black and bright in color. The flowering period is from March to May, and the fruiting period is from August to September.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Growing in bushes or dense forests on hillsides at an altitude of 700-2450m.

[Properties] The leaves are odd-pinnate compound leaves, with narrow wings on the rachis and sparsely distributed downward-curved thorns on the back, each about 1 mm long; the leaflets are 7-11, round or ovate, 5-11 cm long and 1.5-3.5 cm wide. It has a peculiar smell and a slightly bitter taste.

【Nature and flavor】 Spicy; warm

【Functions and indications】Warms the middle and dispels cold; promotes blood circulation and relieves pain. Mainly used for cold pain in the heart and abdomen; traumatic injury; blood stasis and swelling; athlete's foot pain

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoction, 5-10g. For external use: take appropriate amount and wash with decoction.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

The above content is an introduction to the traditional Chinese medicine Guizhou pepper. We should learn more about Guizhou pepper in our daily lives so that we can use it more reasonably and better maximize the value of Guizhou pepper.