Blood Styrax is the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It is the seed of the wild plant Taxus chinensis, which is dried and used in medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine mainly uses it for its anthelmintic and lung-moistening properties. Below, we will provide a detailed introduction to Blood Styrax.
【Morphological Characteristics of Blood Styrax】
Evergreen tree, 10-25 meters tall. Bark is reddish-brown. Leaves are spirally arranged, in two columns, coin-shaped, sickle-shaped, 2-4 centimeters long, 3-4.5 millimeters wide;
Apex gradually pointed or acute, leaf margin usually not recurved, with a wide green marginal band, raised midrib on the upper surface, and two yellow-green stomatal bands on the lower surface.
Flowers are unisexual, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Male flowers are round, with scale-like bracts, 4-8 stamens, and 3-8 locules; female flowers are solitary on short branches, surrounded by opposite scales at the base.
Seeds are broadly ovate, slightly flattened, with 2 ridges at the apex, borne in a red fleshy cup-shaped false seed coat, and have an elliptical hilum. Flowering period is April-May. Fruiting period is November.
【Efficacy and Functions of Blood Styrax】
Blood Styrax contains a large amount of alkaloids. It has a bitter and astringent taste and a neutral nature. It can enter the lung and large intestine meridians. It has various effects, such as expelling parasites, resolving accumulation, moistening the lungs, and stopping cough. It is commonly used in the treatment of pediatric malnutrition and worm accumulation, as well as lung dryness and cough. The main method of administration is internal use, with a dosage of 6 to 15 grams.
In daily life, irregular diet or improper eating habits can lead to food stagnation and abdominal distension. Blood Styrax can be used for treatment by stir-frying it in a pot. After it is cooked, take five to six grains directly for consumption. It can be consumed two to three times a day, which can quickly alleviate the symptoms of food stagnation and abdominal distension.
Blood Styrax has a good therapeutic effect on human ascariasis. In daily life, Blood Styrax can be boiled with clear water and then taken orally. It can eliminate the body's roundworms and allow them to be excreted with the feces, thereby quickly relieving the abdominal pain caused by roundworms.
