Crane Lice Wind, rich in carotene and volatile oil. Crane Lice Wind is used to kill insects, detoxify smoke, reduce swelling, relieve gas, and transform phlegm.
[Other Names] Wild Radish (Classification of Medicinal Herbs), Mountain Radish (Chinese Medicinal Plant Records).
[Source] The whole herb of wild radish, a plant in the Umbelliferae family.
[Plant Morphology] Wild Radish (The Book of Aid in Times of Famine)
A biennial herb, 20-120 cm tall. The stem is upright with white rough hairs on the surface.
The root leaves have long petioles, sheath-like at the base; leaf blades are 2-3 pinnately divided, finally linear or pinnately shaped; the leaf stalks of stem leaves are shorter.
Compound umbels are terminal or lateral, with coarse rough hairs, umbel stalks 15-30 or more;
The involucre has 5-8 leaf-like bracts, pinnately divided, with linear lobes and membranous edges, and fine soft hairs; the involucel has several bracts, not divided or pinnately divided;
The umbels have 15-25 small flowers, small in size, white, yellow, or pale purple-red, with one flower in the center of each umbel usually deep purple-red;
The calyx has 5 narrow triangular lobes; the corolla has 5 unequal petals, with a concave apex, forming a narrow inward-folded small tongue; the ovary is inferior, densely covered with fine soft hairs, and when fruiting, the umbel rays on the outer edge of the umbel bend inward, forming ellipsoidal double mericarps, with the main ridges not prominent and 4 secondary ridges developed into narrow wings. The wings are densely covered with hooked spines. Flowering period is from May to July. Fruit-bearing period is from July to August.
[Habitat and Distribution]
It grows on roadsides, mountain ditches, riverbanks, wastelands, and other places. It is distributed in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, and other places.
The fruit of this plant (Nanhe Shi) is also used medicinally, see "Crane Lice" entry for details.
[Collection] Harvest during flowering period from June to August, and dry in the sun.
[Chemical Composition] The root is rich in carotene and contains volatile oil. The main components of the volatile oil are pinene, limonene, carotene alcohol, carotene alcohol, isothymol ether, and isothymol aldehyde.
The root also contains carotenic acid. The leaves contain a large amount of carotene, which can be used as raw material for extracting carotene; it also contains carotene alkaloids and pyrrolidine. The flowers contain quercetin-3-glucoside, quercetin-3-diglucoside, and apigenin glucoside. It also contains a large amount of malic acid.
[Pharmacological Effects] Carotene alkaloids and pyrrolidine have no significant physiological effects. Carotene, also known as vitamin A precursor, has nutritional value. Ingesting plants containing excessive carotene can cause a condition called carotenemia, which results in yellowing of the skin, but it is harmless to the human body. It has been reported that its extract can contract the uterus.
[Properties and Taste] ① "Classification of Medicinal Herbs": "Slightly toxic."
② "Sichuan Chinese Medicine Records": "Cold in nature, slightly bitter and slightly sweet, with slight toxicity."
[Efficacy of Crane Lice Wind]
① "Classification of Medicinal Herbs": "Kills insects, detoxifies smoke, reduces swelling, relieves gas, and transforms phlegm."
② "Sichuan Chinese Medicine Records": "Treats dry diseases and itchy rashes in women."
[Usage and Dosage] Internal use: decoction, 9-15 grams. External use: decoction for washing.
[Actions of Crane Lice Wind]
① Treats qi deficiency and abdominal distention in women: Crane Lice Wind, Ge Shan Qiao. Decoction for oral administration.
② Treats dry diseases in women: Crane Lice Wind. Stew with young rooster and consume.
③ Treats itchy rashes caused by damp-heat: Crane Lice Wind, Mulberry Leaves, and Thoroughwort. Decoction for washing. (Prescription from "Sichuan Chinese Medicine Records")
