Wolf's grass is a widely distributed aquatic plant with strong regenerative ability. It mainly grows in shallow water areas under temperate and subtropical climates. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, nourishing yin and restraining sweat. In addition, it can also be used as animal feed.
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【Growth habits of Wolf's grass】
Wolf's grass is a widely distributed aquatic plant that can grow in wet and shallow water conditions under temperate and subtropical climates.
It prefers acidic to neutral soil and can also tolerate salt alkali. In the grasslands of the Songnen Plain in Northeast China, where salinization is high, it often becomes a subdominant species or dominant species in some wet plant communities of the Poaceae, Cyperaceae, and Rosaceae families.
Wolf's grass has strong regenerative ability. The lower stem easily produces a large number of adventitious roots. Wolf's grass often grows in clusters, either as pure colonies of dominant species, or with companion species or subdominant species participating in the composition of the community.
In temperate regions, Wolf's grass emerges in May-June and starts to stem after about a week. It flowers in July-August and bears fruit in August-September. In subtropical regions, it emerges after late April, branches in mid-June to mid-August, flowers in mid-August to mid-September, and bears fruit and matures in September-October. It dies after mid-November (frost). Its growth period is 150-195 days.
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【Feed value of Wolf's grass】
Before flowering, Wolf's grass has tender and juicy branches and leaves without hair. However, due to a slight peculiar smell, livestock and poultry often avoid eating it. It is favored by pigs after being chopped and steamed. Geese, ducks, and chickens also eat it. Green dry grass or frost-damaged dry grass can be fed to cattle, sheep, horses, and camels.
Processed into hay powder, it can be used as a raw material for compound feed. The nutritional components of Wolf's grass are high in dry hay, with a high crude protein content and a low crude fiber content. Its seeds contain high levels of crude fat and abundant crude protein, and are non-toxic, making them suitable for use as supplementary feed.
The energy value of Wolf's grass is relatively high among mixed grasses. After removing the peculiar smell, it is suitable for use by sheep and pigs.
Wolf's grass has tall and branching clumps with a large leaf volume. During the bud stage, the stem-to-leaf ratio of fresh grass is 1:1.24. After fruiting, the lower leaves of the stem gradually turn yellow and wither from bottom to top.
In plant communities dominated by Wolf's grass, one-time mowing during the flowering period can yield fresh grass of 37.5-75t/ha.
However, due to its volatile oil and ambiguous nature, its fruits easily adhere to the body of sheep, affecting the quality of their fur. This reduces its value and makes it a low-grade forage. In addition to being used as feed, Wolf's grass can also be used as a green manure plant.
Wolf's grass image
【Medicinal value of Wolf's grass】
In traditional Chinese medicine, Wolf's grass is believed to have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, nourishing yin and restraining sweat. It is used for colds, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, enteritis and dysentery, hepatitis, urinary tract infections, tuberculosis with night sweats, and amenorrhea. It can also be used externally to treat boils, swellings, eczema, and psoriasis.
The dry hay of Wolf's grass contains 0.11% volatile oil and 2.01% tannin. The leaves contain 160g/kg of cellulose C, and the fruits have an oil content of 23.78%. They also contain flavonoids such as hesperidin-7-glucoside. Therefore, the whole plant can be used as medicine to nourish yin and moisten the lungs, and clear heat and detoxify. It is a valuable resource for supplementing the body.
1. "Compendium of Materia Medica": "It is used to treat chronic dysentery, distended abdomen in children, erysipelas, and cold and heat. Take the roots and stems and boil them for consumption."
2. "Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica": "It is used to treat bloody dysentery."
3. "Compendium of Materia Medica": "It is used to treat chronic psoriasis, where itching occurs when the weather is cloudy. Grind it into powder and mix it."
4. "Minnan Flora": "It nourishes yin and benefits the lungs, and clears heat and detoxifies. It is used to treat coughs, asthma, and sore throat."
