Shrimp Grass is a wild herbaceous plant with a bitter taste. It has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting diuresis, and reducing swelling. So what does Shrimp Grass look like? Let's take a look together!
What is Shrimp Grass?
Shrimp Grass is a wild herbaceous plant, also known as Green Grass or Grass Ephedra. It belongs to the family Asteraceae. The whole plant can be used as medicine and is usually harvested in summer and autumn. After harvesting, it is dried to become medicinal Shrimp Grass.
It grows on slopes, fields, lakeside grasslands, or riverbanks and beaches. It is distributed in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guizhou, Yunnan, and other places.
Shrimp Grass, as a traditional Chinese medicinal material, has a bitter taste and a mild nature. Its main effects are clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting diuresis, and reducing swelling. It has been used as a nourishing food for hundreds of years. It can be decocted with the roots or cooked with the branches and roots for consumption.
What are the Morphological Characteristics of Shrimp Grass?
Plant: Annual herb, up to 40 centimeters tall.
Stem: The lower part of the stem branches, green or slightly purple.
Leaves: Alternate, linear or lanceolate, 1-3 centimeters long, entire margins, without petioles; upper leaves scale-like.
Fruit: Thin elliptical achene, brown, with three winged ridges. It has a slight aroma and a bitter taste.
What are the Effects and Functions of Shrimp Grass?
Shrimp Grass is commonly used to treat various diseases such as ulcers, swelling, and wind-heat headaches. It can be decocted and taken orally, with a dosage ranging from 15 to 30 grams.
Shrimp Grass has a good diuretic and anti-swelling effect, and it is excellent in treating edema. For treatment, 100 grams of Shrimp Grass can be decocted with water, and after removing the residue, the decoction can be consumed once a day.
In addition, Shrimp Grass can also treat unknown swellings. For treatment, Shrimp Grass can be decocted with Wild Chrysanthemum Flowers in water. The decoction can be consumed orally, and the residue can be applied externally to the affected area with swelling. Combined internal and external treatment can quickly improve the condition of swelling.
