The Chinese herbal medicine "Ling Jing" refers to the stems of the water chestnut plant or other plants in the same family. It is not only used as a medicinal herb, but also a popular wild vegetable in southern China. What are the methods for treating gastric ulcers with Ling Jing?
Picture of Ling Jing
【Methods for treating gastric ulcers with Ling Jing】
30-45g of Ling Jing and 30g of Coix Seed. Boil them together and drink the decoction as tea continuously. (Compendium of Materia Medica)
Taste and properties of Ling Jing
It has a bitter and astringent taste, is neutral in nature, and is non-toxic.
Functions and indications of Ling Jing
It is used to treat gastric ulcers and multiple warts.
Dosage and administration of Ling Jing
Internal use: boil and drink the decoction, using 1-1.5 liang of fresh Ling Jing. External use: apply it crushed or rub it on the affected area.
【Original morphology of Ling Jing】
Ling Jing is an annual aquatic herb. It has two types of roots, including the absorbing roots and assimilating roots. The assimilating roots contain chlorophyll and grow from the stem nodes, with finely divided pinnate structures. The stems are long and vary in length depending on the depth of the water.
The leaves are arranged in a lotus-like pattern at the top of the stem, with a triangular shape resembling a water chestnut. They are 2.5-4cm long and 2-4.5cm wide, with coarse serrations on the upper half of the edges and a smooth base. The color is green, with no hair on the upper side and fine hair on the lower side when young, which gradually falls off. There are hairs along the veins.
Picture of Ling Jing
The leaf stalks are 2.5-5cm long, with or without hair, and there are enlarged sponge-like air chambers near the top. The flowers are hermaphroditic and solitary in the leaf axils. The calyx tube is short and hairy, with 4 lobes. There are 4 petals, 4 stamens, and a semi-inferior ovary with 2 chambers, each containing 1 ovule. The style is rod-shaped, and the stigma is head-shaped. The flower has a rooster comb-like nectary.
The fruit is a flattened inverted triangular shape with thorns at both ends. The distance between the thorns is 3-4cm, and the calyx lobes on the ventral and dorsal sides fall off. There is one seed. The flowering period is from June to July, and the fruiting period is from September to October.
【Plant production environment】
1. Ling: It grows in ponds and rivers, and is cultivated in various regions.
2. Black Ling: It is cultivated in various regions and distributed south of the Yangtze River.
3. Trapa bispinosa: It prefers shallow water in ponds and lakes. It is distributed in northeastern, northern, northwestern, eastern, and central China.
4. Gridling: It grows in lakes and is distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and various regions in northern China.
