The difference between thatch root and houttuynia cordata

Houttuynia cordata is commonly known as Houttuynia cordata, which is also a common food in life. Many people will think of Houttuynia cordata as thatch root because most people can easily confuse thatch root with Houttuynia cordata. The two have some similarities in appearance, but there are obvious differences if you look closely in other aspects. Moreover, there are quite big differences between thatch root and Houttuynia cordata in terms of efficacy and function.

1. Houttuynia cordata

Herbal characteristics of Houttuynia cordata: The stem is oblate and cylindrical, twisted, 20~35cm long and 0.2~0.3cm in diameter; the surface is brown-yellow with several longitudinal ridges, obvious nodes, and residual fibrous roots on the lower nodes; it is brittle and easy to break. The leaves are alternate, curled and wrinkled, and heart-shaped when flattened, 3~5cm long and 3~4.5cm wide; the tip is gradually pointed, the margin is entire; the upper surface is dark yellow-green to dark brown, the lower surface is gray-green or gray-brown; the petiole is slender, and the base is fused with stipules to form a sheath. The inflorescence is terminal spike, yellow-brown. It has a fishy smell when crushed.

2. Thatch root

The dried rhizome of thatch root is slender and cylindrical, sometimes branched, of varying lengths, usually 30 to 60 cm long and about 1.5 mm in diameter. The surface is milky white or yellowish white, with light brown, slightly raised nodes; the internode distance is about 3 cm. It is light and tough, not easy to break. The cross section is fibrous, the center is yellow-white with a small hole, the outer ring is white and solid, or there are countless gaps like a wheel, and the outer ring and the center are very easy to peel off. It has a faint smell and a slightly sweet taste. The best ones are thick, white, rootless and sweet. It is produced in most parts of the country. It is made from dry imperfect grass roots, which are then washed, slightly moistened, cut into sections, dried in the sun, and winnowed to remove debris. It contains a large amount of sucrose and glucose, a small amount of fructose, xylose, citric acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, etc., and contains 21% starch. It is used to treat fever, thirst, vomiting blood, epistaxis, rapid wheezing due to lung heat, hiccups due to stomach heat, gonorrhea, difficulty urinating, edema, and jaundice. Imperata root is cold in nature and also has anti-inflammatory effects.

3. Others

Imperata grass is the root of the imperata grass and is a medicinal material. It is made by picking out impurities from dry imperata roots, washing, slightly moistening, cutting into sections, drying them in the sun, and winnowing out debris. It is used to treat fever, thirst, vomiting blood, epistaxis, rapid wheezing due to lung heat, hiccups due to stomach heat, gonorrhea, difficulty urinating, edema, and jaundice. Imperata root is cold in nature and also has anti-inflammatory effects. Houttuynia cordata is an herbal medicine included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The herbal medicine comes from the dried aerial parts of the Houttuynia cordata plant of the Saururaceae family. The flowers are harvested in summer when the stems and leaves are lush and the flowers are numerous, and then the impurities are removed and the flowers are dried in the sun.