Wide-leafed Fleabane, a Chinese medicinal herb, is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Brassicaceae family. It is also known as "da la" or "zhi li cao". It is the whole herb of the wide-leafed fleabane plant. It is distributed in Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, North China, Tibet, and other areas in China. Wide-leafed fleabane has the effects of clearing heat and dampness, and treating bacterial dysentery and enteritis.
【Plant Morphology of Wide-leafed Fleabane】
Wide-leafed fleabane is a perennial herb, measuring 0.3-1.2 meters in height. The stem is erect with branches in the middle and upper parts.
The leaves are long, lanceolate or broadly elliptic, with short pointed tips and wedge-shaped bases. The edges have sparse serrations. The leaves at the base have long petioles, while the leaves on the upper part of the stem are sessile and bract-like. The inflorescence is arranged in a corymb. The flowers are small with four white petals. The fruit is flatly elliptic and the siliques are short, broad-ovate, or nearly circular, without hairs or wings.
The seeds are broadly ovate, elliptical, or nearly oblong, and light brown. The flowering period is from May to September, and the fruiting period is from July to October. The chromosome number is 2n = 24.
【Habitat Distribution】
Wide-leafed fleabane grows by the field edges, ridges, ditches, and river valleys. It is distributed in Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and other areas in China.
Wide-leafed fleabane has a broad spectrum of adaptability to various adverse conditions. Foreign research has mainly focused on its tolerance to waterlogging, while in China it is mainly distributed in saline-alkali and dry habitats.
【Collection of Wide-leafed Fleabane】
It is harvested in summer, washed, and then dried or used fresh.
