The wood lotus fruit is the fruit of the orchid tree, a plant of the orchid family. It is mainly distributed in Hunan, Guangdong, Guizhou, Yunnan and other places. It has the effects of promoting bowel movements and relieving coughs, and can be used for damp-heat constipation and cough in the elderly. Now let's take a closer look at the benefits of the wood lotus fruit.
The wood lotus is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 20 meters tall. The trunk is straight, and the bark is gray and smooth. The old branches are gray-brown, and the small branches are green. The leaves are alternate and leathery, elongated elliptical lanceolate, with the leaf tips bending towards the back of the leaf.
The leaves are entire with arc-shaped parallel veins. The leaf surface is green and glossy, and the back of the leaf is gray-green with white powder. The flowers are white and solitary at the top of the branches. The aggregate fruit is oval in shape, initially fleshy and deep red, and turns woody and purple with wart-like spots on the surface when ripe. The flowering period is from March to April, and the fruit ripens from September to October.
The bark, root bark, or fruit of the wood lotus can be used as medicine. It has the effects of relieving coughs and promoting bowel movements. It is used for constipation due to excessive internal heat and dry cough in the elderly. The wood lotus fruit is shade-tolerant in its early years and prefers sunlight as it grows. It prefers a warm and humid climate and deep fertile acidic soil.
The wood lotus fruit is native to China and belongs to the orchid tree species. It is different from the aquatic lotus varieties in the lotus family and can be used as a variety choice for urban greening.
The wood lotus flower is mainly distributed in Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and other places. Its original habitat is Fujian, China. It has also been introduced to many European and American countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, and is distributed worldwide. However, the wood lotus varieties are relatively single, with little possibility of variation, and reproduction is slightly difficult, so it is not suitable for large-scale planting. In the Fujian region, the first good variety of wood lotus originated from a specimen collected in Hong Kong, and later became popular.
The wood lotus fruit is suitable for growth in middle and low altitude areas, and it thrives in hard soils such as granite and sandstone. It is most suitable for the growth of wood lotus flowers. Wood lotus is extremely shade-tolerant in its early stages, but it starts to prefer sunlight as it enters the growth stage. Therefore, the choice of planting location is crucial, and acidic soil with good drainage is preferred.
The wood lotus fruit can be directly processed and can be soaked in tea daily. However, the tea must be made with boiling water, and it can be consumed in the same way as ordinary tea. It can improve physical condition and treat coughs, but the effect may be slower.
For patients with severe coughs, it is recommended to boil the wood lotus fruit directly, about 5 qian each time. In addition to the above methods, the wood lotus fruit can also be used as an ingredient for soup, which has stronger dietary and health benefits.
