The efficacy and function of hydrangea

Do you know hydrangea? It is a common Chinese medicinal material and is very helpful for some diseases. Let me show you today.

[Other names] Hydrangea, Peony Panax notoginseng (Zhejiang Tianmu Yam Plant Catalogue).

[Source] It is the rhizome of the hydrangea species of the Saxifrage plant . Harvested in summer and autumn.

[Original form] Deciduous subshrub, 30 to 60 cm tall or taller. The rhizome is thick, light yellow-brown, and densely covered with fibrous roots. The stem is unbranched and has longitudinal grooves on the stem. Leaves are alternate; papery; elliptic to obovate-spatulate. The shape varies greatly, ranging from 7 to 20 cm in length and 3 to 7 cm in width, with the base gradually narrowing into a short petiole, coarsely serrated on the edge, and sparsely covered with rough hairs on both sides. The leaves at the top of the stem are often nearly opposite, with a blunt and sessile base. The inflorescence is terminal in a corymbose panicle; the flowers are dimorphic; the surrounding sterile flowers have 2 (rarely 3) sepals, which are nearly equal or one is slightly larger, broadly ovate to nearly circular, 1-2 cm in longitudinal diameter, and white; the fertile flowers are white to lavender, the calyx tube is sparsely pubescent or later becomes glabrous, with 4-5 small lobes; the petals are 4-5, imbricately arranged, obovate or broadly ovate; the stamens are numerous; the styles are 3, and the ovary is inferior. The capsule is ovoid, 2 to 3 mm long, and has a pore at the top. Flowering period is from July to August. The fruiting period is from October to November.

[Habitat distribution] It grows in shady and moist places under forests or beside ditches. It prefers shady and moist but fertile sandy soil. Distributed in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Fujian, Taiwan, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi and other places.

[Properties] The fresh rhizome is an irregular mass in the shape of beads, slightly curved, 3 to 8 cm long, 1 to 2 cm wide, with a cylindrical stem base remnant at the upper end. The surface is dark brown, with traces of spherical protrusions and dot-shaped rootlets. The cross-section of the skin is yellow, and the central column is white and powdery.

【Functions and indications】 Jiangxi "Handbook of Herbal Medicine": "Used for traumatic injuries."

[Additional prescription] Treat various injuries: Cut four to five cents of fresh hydrangea rhizomes into slices, add rice wine and brown sugar, put in a bowl, cover it, and steam it in a pot for three to four times. Take once before each meal. (Zhejiang Tianmu Yam Plant Records)

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

[Source] From "Zhejiang Tianmu Yam Plant Records"

From the above explanation, we have some understanding of the effects and functions of hydrangea. If you have any discomfort in your body, you can use Chinese medicine to regulate it. Chinese medicine has a long history of treating diseases, so you can eat it with confidence.