The efficacy and function of snake grass

There are many types of Chinese medicine. When we choose, we need to understand the medicine first. So do you know about the medicinal material snake grass? Let us introduce it below.

【English Name】 Degenerate Stapfiophyton

[Source] Medicinal material source: the whole herb of the plant Melastomataceae.

[Original form] Herb, erect, 7-20cm high. With creeping stems, rooting at each node; erect stem quadrangular, fleshy, usually with red hairs; leaf blade membranous or nearly papery, ovate or broadly ovate, gradually pointed at apex, truncate or cordate at base, 5-8cm long, 3-5cm wide, 7-9 basal veins, finely serrated on margin, with thorn-like tips at tooth tips, leaf surface covered with strigosus and dense pubescence, sometimes with small white round spots at base of strigosus, basal veins slightly concave, lateral veins inconspicuous, dorsal surface covered with very fine pubescence and very sparse strigosus, basal veins and lateral veins slightly raised. The inflorescence has 1 (-2) secondary branches, 3-4cm long, the peduncle is 2-2.5cm long, the pedicel is about 1mm long, and grows to 2-3mm when fruiting, all covered with fine soft hairs and sometimes mixed with sparse glandular hairs, quadrangular; the calyx is tubular-funnel-shaped, with four ridges, constricted near the apex, about 5.5mm long, covered with dense fine soft hairs and sparse glandular hairs, the lobes are broadly triangular, with acute apex, with spiny tips, about 0.5mm long; the petals are light pink, red or purple-red, obovate-elliptical or oblong, with acute or long knife-pointed apex, slightly oblique, 8 or 6mm long, 3.5 or 2mm wide, covered with sparse glandular hairs; the stamens are 4 fertile, and 4 are degenerate into filaments, the fertile ones are about 13mm long, the anthers are lanceolate-oblong, about 6mm long, and the degenerate ones are without anthers, 6-10mm long; the ovary is ovate, truncate at the apex, with a membranous crown, 4-lobed, and the lobes have gnathic fine teeth at the top. Capsule broadly ovate, with 4 obtuse edges and 4 ridges; persistent calyx attached to fruit, slightly longer than fruit, covered with sparse glandular hairs, mostly on the upper part, about 4mm long and in diameter. The flowering period is April-May, and the fruiting period is around June.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Grown under sparse woods in valleys at an altitude of 200-300m, in rock cracks beside water or on accumulated soil.

【Functions and indications】Detoxification. Primary snake bite

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 10-30g; or squeeze fresh product into juice. For external use: take appropriate amount and mash it for application.

[Discussions by various scholars] "Xinhua Compendium of Materia Medica": The whole plant: used for snake bites.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

The above is an introduction to the effects, functions and eating methods of snake grass. When choosing it, you need to understand how to use it.