The efficacy and function of maple bark

Traditional Chinese medicine has always been the best choice for many people to treat diseases. It is very helpful in treating diseases and you can rest assured when choosing it. Today we will introduce a Chinese medicinal material, maple bark.

[Source] Medicinal material source: The bark of the Illicium bark plant.

【Original form】 Evergreen shrub, 1-3cm high. The bark is gray-brown with longitudinal wrinkles, brittle and easy to break, granular in cross section, and fragrant; the young branches are brown. There are usually 3-5 leaves clustered at the top of branches; the petiole is relatively thick, 1.3-2.5cm long; the leaf blade is leathery or thick leathery, shiny, oblanceolate, oblong or ovate-elliptic, 10-14cm long, 3-6cm wide, with a short acuminate tip, a cuneate or broad cuneate base, entire, and the margin slightly reversed to the back. The flowers are red, axillary or nearly terminal; the pedicels are 0.6-1.5cm long; there are 15-17 tepals, a few of which are up to 20, the largest of which is broadly elliptical or nearly circular, about 1.3cm long, 1cm wide, and fleshy; there are 21 stamens, rarely 18, 20 or 22, 3.5-4mm long; there are usually 13 carpels, free and arranged in a whorl. (艸骨)(艸凸) Fruits 9-11, with a curved tip at the tip, 3-5mm long, and fruit pedicels 1-4cm long. Flowering period: 4-6cm. The flowering period is from April to June, and the fruiting period is from July to September.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Grown on the top of limestone mountains at an altitude of 200-500m or under sparse forests on rocky mountains.

[Properties] The slope is cylindrical or semi-cylindrical, a few are double-cylindrical, 5-18cm long, 1-3.5cm in diameter, and 2-3mm thick. The outer surface is gray-brown to dark brown, with irregular fine longitudinal wrinkles, occasional gray-white lichen spots, and unclear lenticels. The cork bark is easy to fall off, revealing the reddish-brown skin; the inner surface is reddish-brown with obvious fine longitudinal wrinkles. The texture is brittle, easy to break, and the cross section is granular. Fragrant smell. The taste is slightly astringent. No mucus seeps out after water soaking.

[Chemical composition] Contains 0.30% volatile oil, including 28 ingredients such as α- and β-pinene, camphene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, safrole, camphor, bornylacetate, and myrcene [1].

【Nature and flavor】 Pungent; astringent; warm; slightly toxic

【Meridian】 Spleen; Stomach meridian

【Functions and indications】 Dispel wind and dampness; promote qi circulation and relieve pain. Mainly used for rheumatic joint pain, lumbar muscle strain, centipede bites

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decocted in water, 6-9g. For external use: take appropriate amount, grind into powder and mix with wine for application.

[Discussions by various scholars] "Xinhua Compendium of Materia Medica": Bark: spicy, astringent, warm in nature, slightly toxic. It has the functions of dispelling wind and dampness, promoting qi and relieving pain.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

The above introduces the relevant common knowledge about maple bark. In order to make more people understand maple bark, you can accumulate more related things in your daily life, which will play an important role in maintaining our health.