Tuncao, also known as inverted grass, is a highly reproductive and malignant weed that can cause significant harm to the human body, leading to the occurrence of diseases such as asthma. Let's find out what Tuncao looks like below.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that inverted grass has the effects of promoting blood circulation, resolving blood stasis, diuresis, and clearing heat. It is commonly used for conditions such as amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, contusions and sprains, rheumatoid arthritis, gonorrhea, edema, damp-heat in the lower body, fever due to external pathogens, malaria, sore throat, and boils.
Tuncao is a perennial herbaceous plant with a height of 20-120cm. It has a slender root with a diameter of 3-5mm and a yellowish color. The stem is four-sided with soft hairs, and the nodes are slightly swollen with opposite branches.
The leaves are opposite, with leaf stalks measuring 5-15mm in length. The leaf blades are papery, broadly ovate, inverse ovate, or elliptic oblong, measuring 1.5-7cm in length and 0.4-4cm in width. The apex is rounded and slightly pointed, while the base is wedge-shaped or round. The leaf edges are either entire or wavy, and both sides are covered in coarse hairs.
The spike-like inflorescence is terminal and erect, measuring 10-30cm in length. After flowering, it bends downward. The peduncle of the inflorescence is angular, stout, hard, and covered with white appressed or spreading soft hairs.
The flowers are 3-4mm long and sparsely distributed. The bracts are lanceolate, measuring 3-4mm in length, with elongated and gradually pointed tips. The small bracts are thorn-like, measuring 2.5-4.5mm in length, hard, shiny, and often purplish.
Tuncao has thin membranous wings on both sides of the base, measuring 1.5-2mm in length, completely attached to the thorny part but easy to separate. The perianth lobes are lanceolate, measuring 3.5-5mm in length with gradually pointed tips. They become hard and sharp after flowering, and have a single vein.
The stamens are 2.5-3.5mm long, and the degenerate stamens have truncated or finely rounded tooth-like ends, with branched fringed long margin hairs. The achene is ovoid, measuring 2.5-3mm in length. The seeds are ovoid, not flattened, with a length of about 2mm and a brown color. The flowering period is from June to August, and the fruiting period is in October.
1. "Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Annals": "Promotes urination, clears blood, disinfects. Treats dysentery, throat diseases, contusions and sprains, strengthens tendons and bones, disperses blood, relieves pain, treats edema, and treats foot qi."
2. "Common Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual of the Guangzhou Military Region": "Clears heat, resolves exterior, promotes diuresis. Treats cold and fever, headache caused by summer heat, malaria, urinary calculi, and chronic nephritis."
3. "Common Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual of the Guangzhou Air Force": "Clears heat, promotes diuresis, strengthens tendons, and disperses blood. Treats cold and fever, persistent fever, rheumatoid arthritis, back and leg pain, sore throat, hypertension, and nephritis edema."
