Red Shin San, also known as Flower Butterfly, refers to the roots and whole plants of the Liao genus plant Red Shin San. It is a traditional Chinese medicine that has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting blood circulation, and reducing swelling. Now let's learn about the medicinal properties of Red Shin San and how to choose it.
【Morphological Characteristics of Red Shin San】
The rhizome of this plant is slender and reddish-brown, with swollen joints and numerous rootlets. The stem is cylindrical, slender, slightly flattened, with slight branching in the upper part, pale green or slightly reddish-brown, hairy or nearly hairless, and hollow in cross-section.
The leaves are ovate, elongated ovate, or triangular ovate, 5-8cm long and 3-5cm wide. The apex is gradually pointed, the base is nearly truncate or slightly cordate, and extends downward to the petiole. On both sides, 1-3 pairs of circular lobes are often formed, which are concave inward. The upper surface has triangular dark purple markings. The leaf sheath is tubular, membranous, and brown. The inflorescence is terminal, composed of several head-like inflorescences, with white or pink corollas. It has a slight aroma and a slightly bitter taste.
【Medicinal Value of Red Shin San】
In terms of medicinal use, traditional Chinese medicine believes that Red Shin San has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting blood circulation, and reducing swelling. It is mainly used to treat dysentery, leucorrhea, heat-induced headache, abnormal uterine bleeding, amenorrhea, breast abscess, and contusions.
Red Shin San has analgesic, anti-swelling, and blood circulation-promoting effects. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the alcoholic extract of Red Shin San has a significant effect on certain species of dysentery bacteria and also has strong antioxidant activity.
Treatment of mastitis: Crush the whole plant or the tubers and wild buckwheat, and apply externally with wine lees.
【Cultivation Method of Red Shin San】
Growth habits: It prefers light but can tolerate shade, and it is resistant to cold and poor soil.
Landscape use: Suitable for arranging flower gardens, roadsides, or planting under sparse forests.
Cultivation points: It can be propagated by sowing or division. Division can be done in spring and autumn, while sowing is best done in spring. It is vigorous and requires minimal management. It is advisable to provide some shade. In autumn and winter, the withered aboveground parts should be cleared in a timely manner to facilitate the growth of new branches in the coming spring.
