In Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Fujian, Taiwan and Guangdong and other places in China, such a perennial herb can be seen in the fields or behind the house, the flower stem of this herbaceous plant is upright, rising or slightly spread, the plant height is about 10-45 cm, and the plant is densely covered with white wool.
The leaves of this plant are also very special, the basal leaves generally have 2-4 pairs of leaflets, the distance is about 0.8-1.5 cm, the leaves are about 4-20 cm long even the petiole, the petiole and the back of the leaf are also densely covered with white wool, and the front of the leaf is relatively bright green, looking from a distance, like a white artemisia.
The rhizome of this plant is relatively thick, mostly reddish yellow, and the lower part of the rhizome is relatively thick and spindle-shaped, which looks like a chicken leg from a distance.
The inflorescence of this plant is a polygonal inflorescence, and there are several or more flowers on the inflorescence, which looks relatively scattered. The peduncle is generally 1-2.5 cm long, and the outside of the peduncle is covered with wool; the flower diameter is about 1-2 cm, the sepals are triangular and ovate, the secondary sepals are lanceolate, it looks shorter than the sepals, and the outside of the secondary sepals is also covered with white wool; its petals are yellow, inverted ovate, the top of the petals looks slightly concave or blunt, longer than the sepals; the flower peduncle is almost apical, the base is papillary bulging, the stigma is slightly enlarged; the fruit is nearly kidney-shaped, about 1 mm wide, and looks relatively smooth. The flowering and fruiting period is generally from May to September.
In the past, this plant was used to feed pigs. When we were very young, we used to beat this pig grass. Listening to adults, the roots of this plant contain very rich starch substances, and after the pig eats it, it not only gains weight very quickly, but also is not easy to get sick. So, after school, we would go around looking for this plant to feed the pigs.
Last night I saw this plant when I watched a video on a video platform, and the video explained that this plant is not an ordinary weed, but a medicinal herb called chicken claw ginseng.
Saying this in the video makes me feel a little incredible, because this plant does not smell like a unique taste of Chinese herbal medicine, how can this plant be a Chinese medicinal herb called chicken claw ginseng?
In order to find out whether this plant is a Chinese medicinal material, I checked the information on the Internet, and through the review of the data, I really believed the statement in the video, because the data said that this plant is really a Chinese medicinal material!
It is said in the data that chicken claw ginseng, also known as turning white grass, is a plant of the rosaceae family and the genus Weiling. The plant tastes sweet, slightly bitter, flat, cold and slightly astringent. Return to the stomach and large intestine. The whole herb can be medicated. Since this grass contains a variety of active ingredients, therefore, this grass has antibacterial, antidiarrheal, immune-enhancing functions.
The data also said that this plant can not only be used medicinally, but also can be eaten. In the early spring of each year, the young stems of this plant can be collected and mixed with flour and steamed on the cage drawer to stir-fry and eat, and in the autumn of each year, the tubers of this plant can be dug up and washed and steamed to eat. In short, its young stems and underground tubers are edible, and the taste is very delicious!
After reading this information, I felt that many plants in the countryside should not be treated as useless plants, and perhaps many plants are of great use!