The efficacy and function of plantain[picture]

Plantain [picture] is a famous traditional Chinese medicinal material with a long history of application. Today we will learn about plantain [picture].

【English name】 HERBA PLANTAGINIS

[Source] This product is the dried whole herb of Plantago asiatica L. or Plantago depressa Willd., plants of the Plantaginaceae family . Dig it up in summer, remove the mud and sand, and dry it in the sun.

【Properties】 Plantain: The roots are clustered and whisker-like. The leaves are basal and have long petioles; the leaf blades are wrinkled and ovate-elliptical or broadly ovate when flattened, 6-13 cm long and 2.5-8 cm wide; the surface is gray-green or dirty green, with 5-7 obvious arc-shaped veins; the apex is obtuse or short-pointed, the base is broadly cuneate, the margin is entire or has irregular wavy shallow teeth. There are several spikes of inflorescence and the flower stems are long. Capsule cover

[Identification] Surface observation of the leaves of this product: The upper and lower epidermal cells of Plantain are rectangular, and the upper epidermal cells have cuticular lines. Stomata are indeterminate, with 3 to 4 accessory cells. The head of the glandular hair is 2-celled, oval, and the stalk is single-celled. Non-glandular hairs are rare, 2-5 cells, 100-320 μm long, with slightly thick walls and slightly warty protrusions.

[Preparation] Remove impurities, wash, cut into sections and dry in the sun.

【Nature and flavor】 Sweet, cold.

[entry into meridians] Enter the liver, kidney, lung and small intestine meridians.

【Functions and indications】 Clears heat, promotes diuresis, eliminates phlegm, cools blood and detoxifies. It is used for edema, oliguria, painful stranguria due to heat, diarrhea due to summer heat and dampness, cough due to phlegm and heat, hematemesis, epistaxis, carbuncles and sores.

[Usage and Dosage] 9-30g; 30-60g of fresh product, decocted or mashed into juice for oral administration. For external use, take an appropriate amount of fresh product and mash it to apply on the affected area.

【Storage】Place in ventilated and dry place.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Pharmacopoeia

[Source] Plantago was first used as medicine with its seeds, which was first recorded in the "Ben Jing". The "Bie Lu" also used its leaves and roots. The Annotated Compendium of Materia Medica says: "There are many on the roadsides of people's houses." The Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica says: "...now it can be found everywhere in Jianghu, Huaidian, near Beijing, and in the north. In early spring, the seedlings sprout, and the leaves spread on the ground like the surface of a spoon. Over the years, they grow to be more than a foot long, like a mouse's tail. The flowers are very small, green with a slight red color; the fruits are like scutellaria, red-black in color." A picture of "Chuzhou Plantago" was also drawn. According to its morphology, it is indeed Plantago, a plant of the Plantaginaceae family.

Although plantain [picture] has many magical effects, it cannot be eaten casually. We need to use the medicine according to the user's own situation. I hope everyone will not take it indiscriminately to avoid unnecessary consequences.