The Chinese herb Erythrina variegata is distributed in Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Henan. Erythrina variegata has the functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, resolving accumulation and invigorating the stomach, and diuresis and reducing swelling.
A picture of Erythrina variegata
Erythrina variegata grows in sunny shrubs on slopes below 500 meters above sea level, or on roadsides, riverbanks, and field edges.
It is a twining herbaceous plant with a cylindrical main root, about 20 centimeters long and 5 millimeters in diameter, and turns gray-yellow when dry. The whole plant is covered with short, soft hairs.
The leaves are opposite, thin and papery, broadly triangular-heart-shaped, 4-9 centimeters long and 4-7 centimeters wide. The apex is sharp, the base is heart-shaped, the leaf surface is dark green, the back of the leaf is pale, and both sides are covered with short, soft hairs. There are about 10 pairs of lateral veins, slightly raised on the back of the leaf.
The umbel inflorescence is axillary, dichotomous, with about 20 flowers. The calyx is covered with soft hairs on the outside. The corolla is white, with lanceolate lobes. The corolla tube is cup-shaped, with 10 thread-like structures at the top, divided into two whorls, the outer whorl is about the same length as the corolla lobes, and the inner whorl is slightly shorter.
A picture of Erythrina variegata
Each anther has one pollen mass, drooping; the stigma is slightly protruding, with a 2-lobed apex.
The fruit is bilocular or only one develops, slender cylindrical, gradually pointed towards the end, 11 centimeters long and 5 millimeters in diameter. The seeds are oblong, and the seed hairs are white and silky.
The flowering period is from June to August, and the fruiting period is from August to October.
The root of Erythrina variegata is cylindrical, about 20cm long and 5-8mm in diameter. The surface is gray-yellow, smooth or with fine wrinkles. The cork is easy to peel off, and the peeled area is grayish-white. It is brittle and easy to break, with an uneven surface, yellow color, and hollow inside. It has a faint aroma and a mild taste.
