Leaves of the plant Houttuynia cordata, also known as fish mint, are widely cultivated in various regions and botanical gardens in China. It has the effects of cooling blood, regulating menstruation, dispersing stasis, and reducing swelling. It is mainly used for excessive menstrual bleeding, external trauma swelling and pain, bleeding, and fractures. Below is a specific introduction to its application in fractures.
[Formula]
Houttuynia cordata leaves
[Method]
Take an appropriate amount of fresh Houttuynia cordata leaves, crush them, and apply them to the affected area. Change the dressing every two to three days.
[Indications]
External trauma swelling and pain, bleeding, fractures
[Pharmacological Effects]
The hot water extract of the flower and leaves has an inhibitory effect on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37) in vitro, while the stem and root are ineffective.
The juice of the leaves or the plant is toxic, ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, delirium, and the toxic component may be in the resin part.
[Plant Morphology]
Houttuynia cordata is an annual herb, about 1 meter tall. The stem is solitary and has obliquely ascending and spreading stout branches, which are sparsely covered with short soft hairs or hairless. The leaves below and in the middle of the stem are opposite, and the leaves below the inflorescence are whorled; the petiole is 2-3 centimeters long; the stipules are glandular; the leaf shape varies, ranging from ovate, elliptic, lanceolate to linear, 4-10 centimeters long and 2.5-5 centimeters wide, with pinnate or entire margins and sparsely covered with short soft hairs on both sides; the leaves at the lower part of the inflorescence are usually red at the base or entirely red.
The cup-shaped umbel inflorescences are densely arranged in an umbel-like cluster at the top of the stem and branches; the involucre is campanulate, green, 3-4 millimeters wide, with 5 lobes at the top; there are 1-2 glands, cup-shaped, without petal-like appendages. There are 20 or more male flowers, and the bracts are membranous and torn at the top; the ovary is ovoid and 3-lobed; the styles are 3 and separate, with shallow splits at the tips. The capsule is ovoid-trigonous, about 5 millimeters in diameter, hairless; the seeds are ovoid, gray-brown, with warty protrusions on the surface, without caruncles. The flowering and fruiting period is in August.
[Identification]
The whole plant of Houttuynia cordata can grow up to 80cm in length. The leaves are opposite; the leaf shape varies, including ovate, elliptic, lanceolate, or linear. The leaves in the middle and lower parts are 4-10cm long and 2.5-5cm wide, pinnate or entire; the petiole is 2-3cm long; the leaves at the base or all of the inflorescence are purple-red. The cup-shaped inflorescences are densely arranged in an umbellate cluster at the top of the stem and branches; the involucre is campanulate, 3-4mm wide, with 5 lobes at the top; there are 1-2 glands, cup-shaped, without petal-like appendages. The capsule is nearly spherical, about 5mm in diameter, hairless; the seeds are ovoid with warty protrusions.
