Nv Lou Cai is a plant of the Caryophyllaceae family, belonging to the Melandrium apricum (Turcz.) Rohrb. The whole plant is used as medicine. It is harvested in summer and autumn, washed and dried.
[Other names of Nv Lou Cai]
Guan Guan Hua, Dui Ye Cao, Dui Ye Cai, Da Ye Jin Shi Liu, Tu Di Yu, Jin Da She, Da Mi Guan, Shan Mu Dan, Zhen Zhu Hong, Ye Ying Su
[Distribution of Nv Lou Cai]
Ecological environment: Grows in grasslands or roadside vegetation below an altitude of 3800m.
Distribution: Distributed throughout China.
[Functions and Indications of Nv Lou Cai]
Promotes blood circulation and regulates menstruation, strengthens the spleen and promotes urination. Used to treat irregular menstruation, insufficient lactation, infantile malnutrition, and edema.
① "Guizhou Herbal Medicine": Promotes blood circulation and regulates menstruation, dispels accumulations, strengthens the spleen, and detoxifies. Used to treat irregular menstruation, infantile malnutrition, and carbuncles.
② "Ningxia Herbal Medicine Manual": Promotes lactation and diuresis.
[Morphology of the original plant of Nv Lou Cai]
Biennial or perennial herb, 20-70cm tall. The whole plant is densely covered with short, soft hairs. The stem is upright and branches from the base. Leaves are opposite, with the upper leaves sessile and the lower leaves short-stalked; leaf blades linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 4.7cm long, 4-8mm wide, acute at the apex, and gradually narrowing at the base. Entire margin. Umbel inflorescence is 2-4 branched, with 2-3 flowers in each. Calyx tube is long-ovate, with 10 veins and 5 teeth at the apex; petals are white, inverted lanceolate, 2-lobed at the apex, with a claw at the base and 2 scales at the throat; stamens are 10, slightly shorter than the petals; ovary is superior, with 3 styles. Capsule is ellipsoid, 6-lobed at the apex, with the outermost calyx nearly equal in length to the fruit. Numerous small, black-brown seeds with tuberculate protrusions. Flowering period is from May to June, and fruiting period is from July to August.
[Characteristics of Nv Lou Cai]
Characteristics: The whole plant is densely covered with short, soft hairs, 20-70cm tall. The root is slender and spindle-shaped, woody. The stem branches from the base. Leaves are opposite, with entire leaf blades linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 4-7cm long, 4-8mm wide, acute at the apex, and gradually narrowing at the base; upper leaves are sessile. Flowers are pink, with 2-3 often borne on the branches. Capsules are ellipsoid. Seeds are kidney-shaped, small, black-brown, with tuberculate protrusions on the edges. It has a faint smell and a mild taste.
Microscopic identification: Leaf surface view: Epidermal cells of the upper epidermis are noticeably more straight-walled than those of the lower epidermis, with stomata on both the upper and lower epidermis being paracytic and anomocytic. Non-glandular hairs composed of 2-3 cells are present, especially at the veins; the apices of non-glandular hairs are slightly curved or straight, 292-1000μm long, 17-42μm in diameter, with a bluntly rounded apex, thin walls, and distinct wart-like protrusions. Leaf parenchyma cells contain cluster crystals of calcium oxalate, with a diameter of 17-84μm.
