Main functions of horsetail herb

Many common plants in life can be used as medicine. Horsetail Herba Eupatoriae is a plant that grows on cliffs or on ancient tree branches where mosses grow. After drying, this plant can be used in traditional Chinese medicine treatment. Doctors will prescribe this medicine for people with difficulty in moving their muscles and bones and rheumatoid arthritis to regulate their bodies with traditional Chinese medicine. What are the specific medicinal effects and plant morphology of Horsetail Herba Eupatoriae?

Plant morphology

Stephania equisetum

Perennial evergreen herb, tufted. The fibrous roots are short and few, and except for the densely interlaced gray-white cotton hairs near the roots, the whole body is smooth and hairless, soft and slender, can reach more than 1 meter in length, and is green in color. It has many bifurcated branches and looks like a horsetail. The leaves are thick, soft and slightly waxy. There are two types of leaf shapes: the nutrient leaves are linear-lanceolate, about 4 mm long, less than 1 mm wide, with sharp tips, spirally protruding on branches and twigs, arranged closely, and slightly raised on the back; the spore leaves are rectangular or quasi-circular, about 2 mm long, about 1 mm wide, truncated at the base, with a caudate tip, and raised main veins on the back. The sporangium is reniform, yellowish white, and has a short stalk.

It grows on cliffs or among ancient tree branches covered with mosses.

collection

Available all year round. Tie into small bundles and dry in the shade. Do not expose to direct sunlight or fire, otherwise it will break easily.

Medicinal Materials

The whole dried grass is green, slender, multi-branched, soft and smooth, slightly shiny, with closely arranged scales and leaves, not prickly, and mostly without roots; if any roots remain, yellowish-white or grayish-white cotton hairs can be seen. The best ones are blue, dry and long.

Function and indications

Relaxes muscles and activates blood circulation; dispels wind and dampness. Mainly used for traumatic injuries; muscle spasms; tendon and bone pain; rheumatic joint pain; hypertrophic spondylitis; rheumatoid arthritis

Usage and Dosage

For internal use: decoct in water, 1 to 3 qian; or soak in wine.

Plant resources with great value like this are very common. After all, our country has a vast territory and there are suitable vegetation for growth in every place. Moreover, after thousands of years of development, my country's traditional Chinese medicine industry has become quite advanced in theory and technology, which has a strong promoting effect on our discovery of more valuable vegetation resources.