Dragon's beard grass is a common plant in rural areas. It has high medicinal value and can be used to treat symptoms such as insomnia and neurasthenia. So what does dragon's beard grass look like? Let's take a look together.
【Morphological characteristics of dragon's beard grass】
Dragon's beard grass is the whole plant of the family Poaceae. It grows in damp areas and on the edges of swamps. It is distributed in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Hunan, Sichuan, and other places. It is native to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.
It is a perennial herb with creeping rhizomes underground. The stems are green, linear, up to 50 cm tall, and have raised stripes on the surface. There are no leaves on the stems, but there are several red-brown, light yellow, or dark black sheath-like scales at the base.
The inflorescence is axillary, clustered, umbellate, or compound umbellate, with short peduncles; the perianth is 6, in 2 rows, pale green. Sepal-like; stamens usually 3, borne at the base of the perianth;
The ovary is superior, 1-celled, with inconspicuous styles, and 3 linear stigmas. The capsule is long-elliptic, containing numerous seeds. Flowering period is from April to June.
【The application value of dragon's beard grass】
Dragon's beard grass, also known as "mountain grass" and "straw raincoat grass" in this region, is a perennial herbaceous plant. It has clustered slender stems, over one meter long, and brownish fish scale-like leaves growing below the stems. In summer, flower stalks grow out about 10 centimeters from the stem tips, bearing numerous small flowers in pale green.
It is harvested in autumn, with an average annual total yield of about 500,000 kilograms. In some places, dragon's beard grass is also processed into carpets, which are exported and welcomed by foreign markets.
The characteristics of dragon's beard grass are that it does not produce nodes, has long fibers, good tensile strength, and a milky white color. It is a high-quality raw material for making offset printing paper, copy paper, and banknote paper. It is also a good material for spinning ropes. It can also be used as filling material for soft furniture. It is an indispensable production material in rural residents' production and life, and is a relatively scarce commodity in domestic and foreign markets.
【Medicinal uses of dragon's beard grass】
1. Treatment of insomnia and neurasthenia: Take 100g of fresh dragon's beard grass, 50g of night trading vine, and 25g of salvia miltiorrhiza. Decoct and take orally.
2. Treatment of difficult urination: Take 10-15g of dragon's beard grass, decoct and take orally.
3. Treatment of diabetes: Take 100g of dragon's beard grass and 50g of deer antler grass. Decoct and take orally.
4. Treatment of urinary tract infections: Take equal amounts of dragon's beard grass and water front grass, and three qian of Polyporus umbellatus; or take equal amounts of dragon's beard grass, small thistle grass, and cowberry, and two liang of white grass root. Decoct and take orally.
