Wild chrysanthemum, also known as mountain chrysanthemum, thousand-layer chrysanthemum, and yellow chrysanthemum, is a dried inflorescence of the chrysanthemum indicum L., a plant in the Asteraceae family. It is harvested when the flowers first bloom in autumn and winter, and then dried by sun exposure or steaming and drying.
【Processing method】Take the original herb, remove impurities, stems, and leaves, and sift out the ash.
【Appearance of prepared slices】They are spherical, with a diameter of 0.3 to 1 cm, and brownish-yellow in color. The total involucre is composed of 4 to 5 layers of involucral bracts. The outer bracts are ovate or linear, with a grayish-green or light brownish color in the middle, usually covered with white hairs and with membranous margins. The inner bracts are elongated elliptical, membranous, and hairless on the outer surface. Some residual peduncles of the total involucre can be seen at the base. The ligulate florets are yellow, wrinkled, and curled, while the tubular florets are mostly deep yellow. The herb is light in weight, fragrant in scent, and bitter in taste.
【Processing properties】Wild chrysanthemum has a bitter and pungent taste, with a slightly cold nature. It enters the liver and heart meridians. It has the functions of clearing heat and detoxification, and soothing the liver. It is used for treating boils, abscesses, erysipelas, eczema, dermatitis, wind-heat colds, sore throat, and hypertension. For example, it is used in the Five-Taste Disinfectant Drink for treating boils, swellings, and erysipelas (from the "Medical Treasury of the Zen Tradition") and in the Wild Chrysanthemum and Reed Rhizome Soup for treating dry cough (from the "Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine" in 1976). The "Jiangxi Herbal Medicine" contains formulas for treating disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis and urinary system infections using wild chrysanthemum. Wild chrysanthemum is commonly used in clinical practice, and processing can clean the herb, making it easier for formulation and preparation.
