Ge Hua, also known as Ge Tiao Hua, is mentioned in the book "Ming Yi Bie Lu". It is the flower of the wild kudzu plant (Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi), a member of the legume family. The flowers are harvested after the beginning of autumn, before they are fully bloomed, and then they are dried after removing the branches and leaves.
[Processing Method] Take the original medicinal material and remove the leaves, stems, and impurities.
[Appearance of prepared slices] They are irregularly elongated and oval-shaped or kidney-shaped. The small bracts are lanceolate in shape. The calyx is bell-shaped, grayish-green in color, with a fused base and yellow-white hairy fibers. The petals are light purple or light yellow. The texture is brittle and easily crumbles. It has a slight scent and a mild taste.
[Processing function] Ge Hua has a sweet and mild taste and is neutral in nature. It enters the spleen and stomach meridians. It has the functions of relieving alcohol intoxication, invigorating the spleen, and stopping bleeding. Processing the herb helps purify it. It is used for symptoms such as thirst and irritability, loss of appetite, vomiting and acid regurgitation, vomiting of blood, and intestinal bleeding. Examples include Ge Hua San for resolving alcohol intoxication (from "Sheng Ji Zong Lu") and Ge Gen San for stopping bleeding (from "Ru Men Shi Qin").
