Pig bristle grass, also known as iron wire fern, is a common fern plant. It is named after its long stems and their resemblance to pig hair. Pig bristle grass is suitable for cultivation in moist and loose sandy soil environments.
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Medicinal Value of Pig Bristle Grass
1. Clearing heat and resolving phlegm, used for hot cough and hemoptysis. Pig bristle grass can be combined with red grass and three-pitch wind to treat hot hemoptysis. It can be combined with Scutellaria baicalensis, Houttuynia cordata, and almond to treat hot cough.
2. Expelling wind, treating rheumatic joint pain. It can be soaked in alcohol and consumed.
3. Diuretic, used for hot and bloody urine, urinary tract infections, and urinary stones. It can be combined with Equisetum arvense to treat urinary stones. It can be combined with Cinnabar and iron wire to treat hot and bloody urine. It can be used alone in decoction to treat urinary tract infections and stones.
4. Reducing swelling, treating skin itching, and eczema. It can be used for external washing by boiling fresh pig bristle grass.
5. Treating mastitis and blocked milk ducts. It can be decocted and consumed with sweet wine as an adjuvant.
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Ancient Texts on Pig Bristle Grass
1. "Tianbao Materia Medica": Promotes diuresis and treats cloudy urine, leucorrhea, dizziness, breast swelling, and dysentery. Vinegar-fried pig bristle grass can be used to treat hemorrhoids and prolapse of the anus.
2. "Guizhou Folk Medicine Collection": Suppresses cough, relieves fever, and promotes diuresis. It is used to treat cloudy urine.
3. "Sichuan Materia Medica": Treats hot cough, toothache, and hemoptysis.
4. "Quanzhou Materia Medica": Dispels wind, activates blood circulation, detoxifies, removes stasis, relieves pain.
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Methods of Planting Pig Bristle Grass
1. Adequate water supply
Generally, the soil should be kept moist, and water supply should be sufficient during the growth period. In dry weather, it is important to increase the humidity in the air.
2. Suitable temperature
Pig bristle grass does not have strict temperature requirements, but attention should be paid to high temperatures in summer and low temperatures in winter. In winter, indoor temperatures should be kept above 5 degrees Celsius, and in summer, it should be placed in a cool and ventilated place at around 25 degrees Celsius.
3. Fertile soil
The soil should not be too poor in fertility. Pig bristle grass generally grows in sandy soil rich in humus. Alternatively, cultivation soil can be purchased. Fertilization should be applied every month, targeting the roots. Repotting and changing soil are important during the spring growth period each year.
