Wuzhao wind is the whole herb of the Rosaceae plant Potentilla chinensis, mainly distributed in Sichuan, Guizhou and other provinces of China. It has the function of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and is commonly used to treat injuries. It can be combined with different Chinese herbs to produce different therapeutic effects in clinical practice.
Image of Wuzhao wind
【Morphological characteristics of Wuzhao wind】
Wuzhao wind is a climbing shrub, about 1.5 meters tall; branches are cylindrical, gray-brown to purple-brown, with soft hairs when young and falling off when old, sparsely prickly.
The leaves are usually palmately compound with 5 leaflets, elliptic-lanceolate or diamond-lanceolate in shape, 3-7 cm long, 1-2.4 cm wide, gradually pointed or tail-like at the apex, wedge-shaped at the base, with soft hairs along the veins on both sides, and coarse serrations and heavy serrations on the edges;
The petioles are 2-4 cm long, with soft hairs, and the leaflets are either sessile or nearly sessile; stipules are linear-lanceolate, attached to the base of the petioles, only the base is connected with the petioles or nearly separated, slightly hairy, often undivided;
The flowers are usually solitary at the apex of lateral branches; flower stalks are 2-3.5 cm long, hairless; bracts are similar to stipules; flowers are 1.5-2 cm in diameter;
The fruits of Wuzhao wind are hemispherical, hidden in the calyx, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, red, and covered with long soft hairs at the base of the persistent styles; the seeds are up to 4 mm long and wrinkled. It flowers from April to May and fruits from May to June.
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【Methods of consuming Wuzhao wind】
1. Wuzhao wind Buddha's hand pork soup
Ingredients: 250g lean pork, 60g Wuzhao wind, 10g Buddha's hand, salt and water as needed.
Method: Cut the Wuzhao wind into pieces; wash the Buddha's hand; wash the lean pork and cut it into chunks. Put all the ingredients into a pot; add enough water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for 1-2 hours over low heat, add salt to taste.
2. Wuzhao wind pig's trotter soup
Ingredients: 1 pig's trotter, 100g Wuzhao wind, 5 red dates.
Method: Wash the Wuzhao wind and red dates (remove the pits); remove the hair, nails, and wash the pig's trotter, cut it into pieces, and boil it in boiling water for ten minutes, then remove and rinse with clean water. Put all the ingredients in a pot, add enough water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for 2-3 hours over low heat, season and serve.
Image of Wuzhao wind
【Clinical applications of Wuzhao wind】
1. Chronic bronchitis
Wuzhao wind (Potentilla chinensis) 60g, Pengqian shi (Rhododendron fortunei) 24g, Gonggai (Vitis pentaphylla) leaves 30g, Ganmodi (Houttuynia cordata) 12g, Baimian feng (Senecio vulgaris) 9g, Jiemomei (Celastrus orbiculatus) 15g, decocted in water, taken twice a day.
2. Anemia
Wuzhao wind (Potentilla chinensis), Maloushuang (Gentiana macrophylla), Jiucengfeng (Achyranthes bidentata), Jieduanpang (Nymphoides peltata), Zoumafeng (Polygonum amplexicaule) 15g each, stewed with pig's trotter and consumed.
3. Cardiac neurosis, coronary heart disease
Wuzhao wind (Potentilla chinensis), Jiucengfeng (Achyranthes bidentata), Jiulongzuan (Cissus verticillata), Baowanfeng (Litsea japonica), Sifangzuan (Sinomenium acutum) 10-15g each, decocted in water, for coronary heart disease, add Congliang (Myristica fragrans) fruit.
