Three Needle Herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine have the functions of clearing heat and drying dampness. Let's take a look at the clinical applications and botanical morphology of these three herbs!
【Botanical Morphology of Three Needle Herbs】
1. Xanthium sibiricum
Evergreen shrub, can grow up to 2 meters in height. Stem is cylindrical, slightly ridged, smooth and hairless, pale red in color when young. Flowers are clustered with 4-8 blooms, yellow in color, with a diameter of about 1 centimeter.
Petals are ovate with a concave tip, and have nectar glands at the base. Stamens are 6, opposite the petals, with short filaments. Ovary has 2-3 ovules, no style, and stigma is shield-shaped.
The fruit is oval, about 6-7 millimeters long, dark green or blue-black in color with a slight powdery appearance. Seeds are 2-3 in number.
2. Berberis aggregata
Deciduous shrub, 1-2 meters tall. Branches have grooves, young branches are green with soft hairs, while old branches are yellow-gray, hairless or nearly hairless. Thorns are often trident-shaped, 2-3 centimeters long.
Petals are pale yellow, 5 millimeters long; ovary has 1-2 ovules. The fruit is rectangular in shape, about 9 millimeters long, and blood-red in color.
3. Sanguisorba officinalis
Deciduous shrub, 1.6-2.5 meters tall. Roots are thick and straight. Stems are erect or clustered, red when young. Flowers are small, 1-2 blooms on short branches, with 6 yellow petals. The fruit is elongated oval, ripe fruits are red or purplish-black in color.
【Clinical Applications】
1. Damp-heat diarrhea, jaundice, eczema
This herb has the bitter and cold properties of clearing heat and drying dampness. It enters the stomach and large intestine meridians to treat bloody dysentery, and can be used alone or in combination with other herbs such as Portulaca oleracea and Cortex Fraxini.
For treating damp-heat jaundice, it can be combined with Herba Artemisiae Scopariae and Herba Lysimachiae. For treating damp eczema, the herb can be ground into powder and applied topically, or used in combination with Indigo naturalis and Talcum for external use.
2. Abscesses, swelling and pain in the throat, red and swollen eyes
This herb has the function of clearing fire and detoxification. It can be used to treat abscesses, swelling and pain in the throat, and can be combined with Honeysuckle Flower, Wild Chrysanthemum Flower, and Forsythiae Fructus.
If used to treat red and swollen eyes, it can be combined with Chinese Gentian, Plantago asiatica seeds, and Gardeniae Fructus.
