Wild Sorghum grows in various locations in China. It is usually treated as a weed in agriculture and is commonly used as feed for pigs in rural areas. But did you know that it is also a medicinal herb with incredible value? Wild Sorghum can be used to make wine that can treat injuries and rheumatic pain.
Image of Wild Sorghum
[Common Uses of Wild Sorghum]
1. Food for Birds
Wild Sorghum often grows in large patches and serves as food for birds such as sparrows.
2. Feed for Livestock
It can also be used as feed for livestock.
3. Can be used as fodder
The tender leaves can be air-dried or sun-dried to make fodder, which is in the form of pellets and white on the inside.
4. Grain for consumption
The sorghum grains can be consumed as food or used for making wine.
5. Medicinal value of the seed
The seeds of Wild Sorghum have medicinal properties. They can dispel dampness, resolve phlegm, calm the mind, promote blood circulation, and relieve pain. They can be used to treat chronic gastritis and injuries from falls. The entire plant can dispel wind and dampness, and is used to treat rheumatic pain.
Internal use: Decoction, 9-15 grams. External use: Grind the roots into powder and mix with sesame oil, then apply to the affected area to treat abscesses. (From "Yunnan Medicinal Herbs")
Image of Wild Sorghum
[What is Wild Sorghum?]
Wild Sorghum is a perennial herb that grows to a height of 0.6-2.5 meters. It flowers and bears fruit from July to November. It has a mild scent, a spicy taste, and a slightly astringent quality.
The roots of Wild Sorghum are cylindrical, slightly curved, about 11 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. The surface is black-brown and has many wart-like protrusions, as well as numerous root scars and remnants of fine roots.
The upper part of the stem is densely covered with brown scales and long hairs. It is hard and not easily broken, with a powdery texture and a reddish-brown color. The whole plant of Wild Sorghum is wrinkled. The stems are thick and flat cylindrical, with a brown to black-brown surface and brown glandular hairs.
The compound leaves are often fragmented, with intact leaflets that are ovate or diamond-shaped, brownish in color, and have heavily serrated edges. Both the leaflet stalks and the leaf axis are covered with brown long hairs.
The inflorescence is a cone-shaped panicle, with both the axis and the pedicels covered with curled brown glandular hairs. The calyx has 4-5 oval-shaped, membranous and brittle sepals. There are no petals. It has a mild scent, a spicy taste, and a slightly astringent quality.
Image of Wild Sorghum
[Medicinal Value of Wild Sorghum]
In traditional Chinese medicine, Wild Sorghum is believed to promote blood circulation, resolve stasis, dispel wind and dampness, and relieve pain. It is commonly used to treat rheumatic pain, injuries from falls, stomach pain, and abscesses.
① "Yunnan Medicinal Herbs": "To treat abscesses, grind the roots of Wild Sorghum into powder and mix with sesame oil, then apply to the affected area."
② "Yunnan Medicinal Plants Directory": "To treat chronic nephritis, injuries from falls, and abscesses, take an appropriate amount of Wild Sorghum roots, decoct them in water, and take internally or apply externally."
③ "National Compilation of Chinese Medicinal Herbs": "To treat injuries from falls, rheumatic pain, and chronic nephritis, take 6-12 grams of the roots, decoct and take orally. Alternatively, soak 30 grams of the roots in 500 ml of wine, and after 7 days, take 10 ml twice a day. For abscesses with pus, use 9-15 grams of the roots, grind them into powder, mix with raw sesame oil, and apply to the affected area."
Wild Sorghum is also used in modern clinical practice to treat measles, indigestion, gastrointestinal bleeding, hemorrhoids, and menstrual irregularities.
