Wolfberry is a type of herbaceous plant that is often used in Chinese medicine. It is commonly used to treat various diseases, especially tuberculosis. Below, we will compare it to the herbaceous plant Ghost Needle to understand the efficacy and effects of Wolfberry.
Wolfberry image
【Efficacy and Effects of Wolfberry】
Wolfberry has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, nourishing Yin, and stopping sweating. It is used for colds, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, enteritis, hepatitis, urinary system infections, tuberculosis-induced night sweats, and amenorrhea. It can also be used externally to treat abscesses, eczema, and tinea.
1. Treatment of bronchitis, tuberculosis: Fresh wolfberry one or two taels. Decoction and take orally. (Fujian Traditional Chinese Medicine)
2. Treatment of diphtheria, pharyngitis, tonsillitis: Fresh wolfberry three to four taels, with fresh olives six, or fresh roots of malan five qian. Decoction and take orally. (Fujian Traditional Chinese Medicine)
3. Treatment of sore throat: Fresh wolfberry five qian to one or two taels. Stew with rock sugar and take orally. (Mingdong Materia Medica)
4. Treatment of bloody dysentery: Two catties of wolfberry, grind and extract one small liter of juice, add half a chicken egg white, mix well, and take on an empty stomach.
If there are no fresh ones, only dry the stems and leaves in the shade, grind them into powder, and take one cun spoonful of the powder with half a cup of honey water. (Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica)
5. Treatment of eczema: Crush fresh wolfberry leaves and apply the juice. (Fujian Traditional Chinese Medicine)
6. Treatment of tinea: Grind wolfberry leaves into powder, mix with vinegar, and apply. (Fujian Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Wolfberry image
【Differences between Wolfberry and Ghost Needle】
1. Different stems
The stem of wolfberry is generally round; the stem of ghost needle is usually quadrangular.
2. Different leaves
The leaves of wolfberry are pinnately compound and opposite, with 3-5 leaflets, lanceolate; the branches and leaves of ghost needle are opposite or alternate, three-lobed or unlobed;
3. Different flowers
Wolfberry does not have ligulate flowers, but there are well-developed leaf-like bracts below the inflorescence; ghost needle has white or yellow ligulate flowers.
4. Different fruits
The fruit of wolfberry is flat, with 2 short spines at the top; the fruit of ghost needle is slender and rod-shaped, with 3-4 short spines at the top;
5. Different efficacy
Wolfberry has the effect of strengthening and nourishing Yin, so it is often used alone or in combination to treat weakness, indigestion, tuberculosis-induced night sweats, urinary system infections, hepatitis, and other diseases;
Ghost Needle has the effect of promoting blood circulation and dispersing blood stasis, so it is often used alone or in combination to treat snake bites, bruises, appendicitis, hemorrhoids, chronic ulcers, frostbite, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and other conditions.
【Comparison of Wolfberry and Ghost Needle Images】
Wolfberry image
Ghost Needle image
