The efficacy and function of iron railings

Iron railings are a famous traditional commonly used Chinese medicinal material in my country with a long history of application. Today we will learn about iron railings.

[Alias] Wild leaf tobacco

[Source] Medicinal material source: the whole herb of Lobelia truncatula of the Campanulaceae family.

[Original form] Lobelia truncatula is a semi-shrubby herb, 1-2.5m tall. The stem is glabrous or has prickles only on the inflorescence axis, and is multi-branched in the upper part. Leaves are alternate; with short petioles or sessile; leaves are nearly leathery, basal leaves are spoon-shaped, the lower part of the stem is oblong, up to 25cm long, and the upper part above the middle is long lanceolate, 13-15cm long, 2.5-4cm wide, with a long acuminate tip and a broad cuneate base, with tiny and dense teeth on the margins, and glabrous on both sides. The raceme grows at the top of the stem and branches, forming a panicle, with extremely dense flowers facing one side of the pedicel; bracts are linear, entire, often shorter than flowers; bracteoles are 1-2; calyx tube is short-oblong, 5-7mm long, 4-6mm wide, with lobes lanceolate, entire; corolla is white, pink or bluish, 2.5-3cm long, glabrous on the outside, densely pubescent inside the corolla tube, nearly two-lipped, with lobes of the upper lip linear and lobes of the lower lip ovate-lanceolate; stamens merge into a tube above the base, the filament tube is glabrous, and the anther tube is about 5mm long. The capsule is nearly spherical, 6-8mm in diameter, glabrous, and the pedicel is arched backwards and drooping. The seeds are numerous, oblong, obviously flattened, often with pale edges, but without obvious honeycomb ornamentation. Flowering and fruiting period is from January to May.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Growing on hillside grasslands, thickets or roadsides above 1900m above sea level.

【Nature and flavor】 Spicy; slightly bitter; neutral

【Functions and indications】Detoxification and swelling reduction; insecticide. Mainly used for oral ulcers, intestinal tract, and skin itching

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoction, 15-30g. For external use: take appropriate amount and mash it for application; or boil it in water for washing.

【Note】 Guizhou Folk Medicine: "Avoid tofu, irritating foods, and fishy and spicy foods."

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the description above, we know what iron railings are and what functions they have. Iron railings have high medicinal value and are beneficial to improving the immune system. They are a worthy choice for us.