First, the botanical characteristics of cat spines
1. Name and classification status
Cat thorn is the official middle name, this name comes from the "Chinese Tree Taxonomy"; aliases are recorded in the "Emei Plant Atlas" as Pei's holly; in Shaanxi and Sichuan called mouse thorn; in Shaanxi Pingli called dog bone; in Jiangxi called octagonal thorn, etc.; in some places also called dog bone, prickly boxwood, chicken bush, etc.; in plant taxonomy belongs to the holly family Holly genus thorn tooth wolfbone evergreen shrub or small tree.
2, distribution and growth environment
Cat's thorn is mainly distributed in southern Shaanxi, southern Gansu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou and other provinces and regions in China; it usually grows in valley forests, hillsides and roadside shrublands below 2500 meters above sea level.
3, appearance characteristics
It is an evergreen shrub or small tree, 1-5 m tall, with silvery-grey bark, longitudinal lobes, angular twigs, and short soft hairs on the surface;
Leaves leathery, shiny, triangular ovate, 1.5-3 cm long, sharply pointed at the apex, spiney, flattened or slightly heart-shaped at the base, 1-3 pairs of large spiny teeth on the leaf edges, triangular spines, hard, outwardly extended, the midrib is slightly concave above, inconspicuous, the lateral veins are 1-3 pairs, and the petiole is about 2 mm long;
The inflorescence is clustered in the axils of the biennial twigs, with only one flower per branch; the male flower has 2 small nearly round bracts in the upper part of the flower, the calyx has 4 lobes, 4 petals, broad oval, light yellow, and 4 stamens; the female calyx is similar to the male flower, the petals are ovate; it flowers bloom in April and May;
The drupes are nearly spherical, 7–8 cm in diameter, red when ripe, 4 nucleated, woody inner peel, and ripen in July–August.
Second, the main use of cat thorns
First, its bark contains berberine, which can be used as a substitute for the preparation of huanglian; the leaves and fruits are used medicinally, with the effect of not liver and kidney, fresh wind and heat; the root medicine can treat lung fever cough, sore throat and other symptoms. Please follow your doctor's advice when using medicines.
Second, cats have dense thorny branches and leaves, evergreen in all seasons, and red fruits, and can be cultivated as ornamental plants; because of their medium plant height, they can be used as medium and low hedges, hedges, and can also be used as protective tree species for shan fences. In some places, its branches and leaves are placed outside the mouth of the rat's hole, which can prevent the mouse from moving.
The above is for personal reference only.
(Image quoted from the Internet)