"Famous Doctors" contains: ephedra was born in Jin and Hedong (east of the Yellow River), and the stem is dried in the beginning of autumn to make it green.
Su Song, a famous doctor, said: (Ephedra) There are many places in Bianjing, and it is better to be produced by Xingyang Zhongmu. Seedlings grow in spring, and grow more than a foot in summer to May. There are yellow flowers on the tips, which are as strong as lily petals and small (the underground tubers of the lilies we plant), like honey locust seeds, sweet in taste, and slightly ephedra gas. The skin is red on the outside, and the inside is black. Roots purple. Male and female plants. Female plants bloom in March ~ April and bear seeds in June, and male plants do not flower and do not produce seeds. After the beginning of autumn, the stem is dried in the shade for later use.
Image 01): A complete view of the plant
Li Shizhen said: "(Ephedra) root bark is yellow and red, one foot long, born in Jindi and Hedong." Because of its taste hemp yellow, it is called ephedra.
Among the vast plant resources, grass ephedra has become a bright pearl in the treasure house of traditional Chinese medicine with its unique biological characteristics and excellent medicinal value.
In this issue of pictures and texts, Qingjiang Crane will focus on and chat with all of you and teachers about ephedra related topics, I hope you like and actively participate in interactive comments, forward and share this issue of pictures and texts.
Image 03): The state of the field
"Ephedra" is a perennial herbaceous shrub of the genus Ephedra in the family Ephedra family:
Grass ephedra is divided into "water ephedra" and "mountain ephedra", and there is a difference between "horsetail ephedra" and "herbal shrub ephedra". There is also the difference between "coarse branch hemp" and "fine branch ephedra", and there are also "arbor casuarina that can reach a height of 20 meters to 30 meters", and "herbaceous shrub ephedra with field plants only 20cm ~ 40cm" and so on.
But these are not the focus of our introduction today, the ephedra "protagonist" we are going to share today is "Chinese ephedra", and its common name is "grass ephedra", that is to say, this grassy shrub ephedra that we often see in our daily life.
Image 04): Wild environment
As a member of the ephedra family, "grass ephedra" has attracted the attention of countless researchers and inquirers with its tenacious vitality and unique medicinal value.
Volume 7 of Flora of China contains "Ephedra (Ephedra)", a small perennial herbaceous shrub, with a plant height of 20cm~40cm in the field, and a height of about 70cm. The woody stems creeping in the soil, the grassy stems are erect, yellow-green, and the internodes are slender like the "arthropod grass", and the fine longitudinal groove patterns on the surface are often not obvious, showing its unique morphological characteristics.
Image 05): A close-up view of the plant
Ephedra grass is also called "leafless grass" (in fact, people also say that horsetail is "leafless grass"). However, what they have in common is that the "leaves" fade and cannot photosynthesize). The leaves are divided into 2 lobes, the sheath occupies 1/3-2/3 of the total length, and the lobes are acutely triangular.
Ephedra field plants are male and female. The male cones are mostly in the shape of a compound spike, often with a total peduncle, 4 pairs of bracts, 7~8 stamens, and the filaments are confluent. Female flower bulbs are solitary at the tips of young branches or axillary on old branches. There is a peduncle at the base that is withdrawn. When ripe, it is fleshy and red.
Image 06): Harsh environment for growth and development
The seeds are usually 2 seeds, encased in bracts, not exposed or equal in length to the bracts, black-red or grayish-brown. There are fine wrinkles on the surface, and the umbilicus is distinct, semicircular.
The field flowering period of ephedra is in May~June, and the planting and fruiting period is in August~September.
Grass ephedra is light-loving, drought-resistant, salt-alkali resistant, cold-resistant, and highly adaptable. Whether it is in dry desert sandy soils, sandy loam, or barren loam, grass ephedra can thrive and show its strong vitality. Wild ephedra is commonly found on hillside meadows, river bank edges, and ridges.
Image 07): Tenaciously robust growth
Grass ephedra has the effect of "removing evil heat, relieving cough and reversing qi, removing cold and heat, and breaking the accumulation of symptoms":
"Flora of China" uploads "grass ephedra": it is an important medicinal plant, rich in alkaloids, second only to equisetum ephedra. There are few woody stems and are easy to process and refine. It is often found on plains, mountain slopes, riverbeds, etc., and is easy to collect and harvest. Therefore, in medicinal use, "grass ephedra" is often used more than "equisetum ephedra", which is the main plant for extracting ephedrine.
Grass ephedra is not only a "wonder" in nature, but also a treasure in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. It is rich in various alkaloids, especially ephedrine, which has multiple effects such as sweating and dissipating cold, relieving lung and asthma, diluting water and reducing swelling.
Image 08): Beautiful spike fruit
The "Compendium of Materia Medica" contains ephedra: "It is a special medicine for the treatment of lung meridians, so it is often used to treat lung diseases." ”
"Shennong's Materia Medica" contains ephedra: "Bitter taste, warm." The main stroke, typhoid headache. Warm malaria, published sweating to go evil heat. Cough relieves the upper qi, removes cold and heat, and breaks the accumulation of symptoms. A dragon sand, born in the valley. Therefore, ephedra is the "first medicine" of the divergent solution table, and has the reputation of "tiger and wolf medicine".
In the 50th episode of "Dream of Red Mansions", "Hu Yong's Doctor Indiscriminately Uses Tiger and Wolf Medicine", "Tiger Wolf Medicine" refers to this "grass ephedra".
Image 09): A spike fruit with a beautiful appearance
"Shennong's Materia Medica" contains ephedra: "A dragon sand." Sweet, warm and non-toxic. Treatment of stroke, injury and headache. Warm malaria sweats, removes evil heat, removes cold and heat, and malaria accumulates. Wind flank disease enjoys the residual disease of breast, discharges evil qi, and eliminates red and black spot poison. Magnolia bark is made for it, and the evil is bitter and shiwei. Therefore, it is said in the "Famous Doctor's Directory": "Ephedra should not be taken too much, and it is empty to take too much." ”
In the case of wind chill and cold, grass ephedra can promote lung qi, open the intestines, penetrate the hair, let the "no sweat" people sweat, discharge the cold in the body, and use it with cinnamon branches, almonds and other medicinal materials, the effect is better.
Image 10): The whole plant
For asthma, cough and other symptoms, grass ephedra enters the lung meridian, promotes lung qi, calms asthma and relieves cough, and its bitter and bitter discharge, warm and smooth sexual taste, making it have broad application prospects in the field of traditional Chinese medicine.
The difference between wild grass ephedra and field horsetail weeds "horsetail" and "knotweed":
In nature, grass ephedra is very similar to horsetail weeds and arthrium in appearance, morphological characteristics, and is easy to confuse.
Image 11): The plant bears fruit
Both horsetail and arthrobium belong to the field weeds of the equisetaceae family, and their growth habits and morphological characteristics are still very different from those of ephedra. The body size of the horsetail and the arthrodite is relatively small, and the stalk is hollow, and the appearance is obviously flute.
Although the stem of Ephedra is thin, the flute is very inconspicuous, and the middle pith of the stem is brown, and the structure is unique. In addition, Ephedra has small, fleshy red "fruits" in summer, while horsetail and arthrium do not have this characteristic.
These distinctions not only help us better identify these plants, but also reflect the wonder of biodiversity in nature.
Image 12): Small fleshy "fruit" of the plant
The interesting story of grass ephedra and "grass words":
01) Shennong tastes the "ephedra" of herbs:
According to legend, when the ancient physician Shennong was collecting herbs in the mountains and forests, he stumbled upon the miraculous plant of ephedra.
He was attracted by its fresh and pungent scent, and after in-depth research, he discovered that grass ephedra has the effect of stimulating the body's vitality and relieving respiratory diseases.
Because of its taste hemp and root yellow, Shennong named it "ephedra" and listed it as one of the important Chinese herbal medicines.
Image 13): "Little fruit" with a beautiful appearance
02) A small handful of leafless grass, sweating with stems and roots, once mistaken, "leafless grass" becomes "troublesome grass":
This is actually an interesting story about the medicinal properties of grass ephedra.
Legend has it that an old Chinese medicine doctor took an apprentice, who was not good at his studies and was very arrogant, often "half-understood" and "self-righteous".
At the end of the study period, the apprentice successfully completed the course and began to stand on his own door and open the door to pay money. Before leaving, the teacher warned the students that there is a "leafless" grass ephedra, and they should be quite careful when using it. "Sweating with stems and roots, once mistaken, leafless grass will become troublesome grass."
The students didn't care and didn't take the teacher's "focus" to heart. As a result, during a visit to a patient, someone else was safely "hitched" on the road to heaven and accompanied him.
Image 14): A complete view of the plants in the field
The master sued the student to the yamen, and the anti-"bite" was due to the wrong knowledge point imparted by the teacher. As a result, the county order dismissed the teacher from the yamen. After confronting, it was found that it was the "trouble" caused by the student's "lack of skill". The teacher was acquitted.
Later, the "half-pulled" students were released from prison and returned to their old jobs, conscientiously studying medical skills to treat others. Because this weed has caused him a lot of "trouble", he calls this planting grass "trouble grass". Later, because the roots of this grass are yellow, it was renamed "ephedra".
Image 15): Above-ground plants
Words written at the end:
To sum up, with its unique biological characteristics and excellent medicinal value, Herbephedra has become a bright pearl in the treasure house of traditional Chinese medicine.
By understanding the basic biological characteristics and medicinal value of Ephedra vulgaris, as well as its differences from horsetail weeds and knotweeds, we not only increased our knowledge, but also gained a deeper understanding of the magic and harmony of the natural world.
At the same time, the interesting story of the medicinal herbs of grass ephedra also makes us feel the unique charm of traditional Chinese medicine culture. Let's continue on the road of exploring nature and inheriting culture!
Image 16): Wild clumps