Are domestic flowers not as fragrant as wild flowers? That just shows you're ignorant.

Chrysanthemum, also known as wild chrysanthemum, wild yellow chrysanthemum, and bitter coix. It has the effects of dispelling wind and heat, reducing swelling and detoxifying. It can be used to treat wind-heat colds, pneumonia, diphtheria, gastroenteritis, hypertension, furuncles, carbuncles, mouth ulcers, erysipelas, eczema, impetigo and other diseases.

According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", "(Wild chrysanthemum) breaks blood and soothes the liver, relieves carbuncle and disperses poison. It can treat women with abdominal blood retention, relieve the fire poison and carbuncle. It can wash sores and scabies, and can also remove wind and kill insects."

Identification of medicinal material sources

This product is the dried inflorescence of Chrysanthemum indicum of the Asteraceae family. The flowers are picked when they first bloom in autumn and winter, and then dried in the sun, or steamed and then dried in the sun.

Identification of medicinal material properties

① Wild chrysanthemum: The inflorescence head is spherical, 1.5-2.5cm in diameter, and brown-yellow in color. There are 4-5 layers of bracts, the outer bracts are ovate or ovate-triangular, 2.5-3mm long, the middle part of the outer surface is gray-green or light brown, often covered with white hairs, and the edges are membranous; the middle bracts are ovate; the inner bracts are oblong. There are some residual peduncles at the base of the involucre. There is one whorl of ligulate flowers, which are yellow, wrinkled and curled. When flattened, the ligule is 1-1.3cm long, with the entire edge or 2-3 teeth at the apex; there are many tubular flowers, dark yellow. It has a fragrant smell and a bitter taste.

② Rock chrysanthemum: The diameter of the head inflorescence is 1-1.5cm; there are 4-5 layers of bracts, the outer bracts are linear or linear-oblong, 2.5mm long; the middle and inner bracts are ovate, oblong to oblanceolate. The ligulate flowers are yellow, the tongue pieces are oval, and 5-7.5mm long.

The best ones are those that are complete, yellow in color and fragrant.

Preparation method of medicinal pieces

1. Chrysanthemum: Take the original medicinal materials, remove impurities and remaining stems and leaves, and sieve out the ash.

2. Chrysanthemum charcoal: Take clean chrysanthemums, place them in a frying container, heat over medium heat, and fry until the surface is brown, spray a little water to extinguish sparks, take out and dry and cool thoroughly.

3. In the Song Dynasty, there were processing methods such as steaming (Shenghuifang), frying (Zhushi), washing with wine (Renshu) and soaking with wine (Huichun). In addition to the wine-making method, the Qing Dynasty also added methods such as charcoal making (Dacheng) and children's urine making (Bencao Shu).

Chrysanthemum and wild chrysanthemum are not the same plant, their functions and indications are also different, and they should not be confused. Chrysanthemum and wild chrysanthemum are closely related plants of the same genus. The difference between them is:

1. Different growing environments: ① Chrysanthemums are all cultivated plants, and can be divided into Hangzhou chrysanthemum, Chuzhou chrysanthemum, Bozhou chrysanthemum, etc. according to different origins. ②Wild chrysanthemum is wild and mostly grows on roadsides, hills, wastelands, hillsides, etc., and is distributed in most parts of the country.

2. Differences in shape and color: ① Chrysanthemum is conical or oblate, with a flower diameter of 1.5cm to 3cm. The flower colors vary, including yellow, brown, white, etc. ② Wild chrysanthemum is spherical in shape, with a diameter of 0.3cm to 1cm. The flower color is mostly brown-yellow, with a small amount being brown.

3. Differences in efficacy: ① Chrysanthemum is sweet, bitter, slightly cold in nature and enters the lung and liver meridians. The effects are dispersing wind and heat, calming the liver and improving eyesight. It is commonly used for wind-heat colds, headaches, dizziness, and red eyes caused by hyperactivity of liver yang, and blurred vision caused by liver and kidney yin deficiency. Modern research shows that chrysanthemum can lower blood pressure, dilate coronary blood flow, and enhance capillary resistance, so it can also treat hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis. ② Wild chrysanthemum is bitter, pungent and slightly cold in nature. It enters the liver and heart meridians. Its main effect is clearing away heat and detoxifying. It is mainly used to treat carbuncles, sores, red eyes, scrofula, pemphigus, eczema, etc. Because its ability to clear away heat and detoxify is stronger than that of chrysanthemum, it is good at treating various types of furuncles and carbuncles. In addition, like chrysanthemum, wild chrysanthemum also has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antihypertensive, and lipid-lowering effects. There is a saying among the ancients that "real chrysanthemum prolongs life, while wild chrysanthemum makes people sick."

Chrysanthemum is both a traditional Chinese medicine and can be eaten as a health supplement with extremely small toxic side effects. Wild chrysanthemum is bitter and cold in nature. If taken for a long time or in excessive doses, it will damage the yang energy of the spleen and stomach, causing adverse reactions such as stomach discomfort, poor appetite, intestinal rumbling, and loose stools. It is not suitable for people with weak spleen and stomach and pregnant women. Therefore, chrysanthemum and wild chrysanthemum should not be confused in clinical applications, and they cannot replace each other.