The efficacy and function of Photinia leaves

Chinese medicinal materials are very common, and there are many types of them. There are also some differences in their efficacy. Therefore, you need to have a good understanding before choosing. Do you know about the medicinal material Photinia leaf?

【English name】 Folium Photiniae

[Other names] Stone eye tree leaves, old and young leaves, chiseled trees, stone gang

[Source] The leaves of Photinia serrulata Lindl., a plant of the Rosaceae family. It can be harvested and dried throughout the year.

[Original form] Evergreen shrub or small tree, up to 10m high, with smooth branches. The leaves are leathery, oblong, obovate, or obovate-elliptical, 8 to 22 cm long, 2.5 to 6.5 cm wide, with a broad cuneate or rounded base, sparsely glandular serrations on the margin, entire near the base, with pubescence from the midrib to the petiole when young, which then falls off, and glabrous on both sides; the petiole is 2 to 4 cm long. The compound cymose inflorescence is numerous and dense; the peduncle and pedicel have no lenticels; the flowers are white, 6-8mm in diameter; the petals are nearly round, and the inner surface is glabrous near the base; the ovary has hairs on the top, and the style is 2-3 lobed. The pear fruit is nearly spherical, about 5mm in diameter, red, and later turns purple-brown. The flowering period is from April to May, and the fruiting period is October.

【Habitat distribution】Wild or cultivated. Distributed in Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu.

[Properties] The upper surface of the leaves is dark green to brown-purple and relatively smooth, while the lower surface is light green to brown-purple. The main vein is protruding and the lateral veins are arranged in a pinnate-like manner; they often have petioles. Leathery and brittle. It has a faint smell and tastes bitter and astringent.

【Chemical composition】 Contains hydrocyanic acid, prunasin, ursolic acid, saponin and volatile oil.

[Nature and flavor] Neutral in nature, pungent and bitter in taste; slightly toxic.

【Functions and indications】 Dispel wind and tonify the kidney. Used for rheumatic pain in muscles and bones, impotence and spermatorrhea.

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

The above is an introduction to the Chinese medicinal herb Photinia fraseri. For medicinal herbs that we don't understand, we should learn more about them so that we can make full use of them in our lives and not be at a loss.