Purple bead leaf is the dried leaf of the plant Du Hong Hua, which belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It is mainly harvested during the summer and autumn when the branches and leaves are lush. It has the effects of cooling blood, stopping bleeding, dispersing stasis, and reducing swelling. Now let's learn about the medicinal value of purple bead leaf and its identification methods.
Effects and Functions of Purple Bead Leaf
1. Cooling blood and stopping bleeding
Purple bead leaf has a bitter and cold nature and enters the liver meridian. It has the function of cooling blood and stopping bleeding. It is suitable for bleeding disorders caused by heat invading the blood division, such as nosebleeds, hemoptysis, hematemesis, bloody stools, and excessive menstruation. It can also be used for external bleeding. It can be used alone or in combination with other hemostatic drugs.
2. Detoxification and reducing swelling
Purple bead leaf has a bitter and cold nature and enters the lung and stomach meridians. It can clear heat, detoxify, disperse stasis, and reduce swelling. It is suitable for diseases such as swollen and painful sores caused by heat-toxin stagnation, scalds, etc. The powder of this herb can be applied to the affected area, or the decoction can be used to soak a piece of gauze for external application. For treating heat-toxin sores, fresh purple bead leaves can be mashed and applied externally, and the decoction can also be taken orally. It can also be used in combination with other heat-clearing and detoxifying drugs.
Differences between Purple Bead Leaf and Purple Bead Grass
Purple bead grass
(1) Also known as purple bead or hemostatic grass, it is a plant of the genus Du Hong Hua in the family Lamiaceae. The roots and leaves are used as medicine. The leaves are harvested in summer and autumn, and the roots can be harvested all year round. Purple bead has a bitter and astringent taste, and its medicinal properties are neutral.
(2) The leaves of purple bead grass are opposite, and the leaf shape is mostly long elliptical or lanceolate. In summer and autumn, small purple flowers will bloom in the leaf axils of purple bead grass, and they will later form spherical fruits that turn purple-red when ripe.
Purple bead leaf
(1) Purple bead leaf is the dried leaf of the plant Du Hong Hua, which belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It is harvested in summer and autumn and then dried. It has a bitter and astringent taste and a cool nature. There is not much difference in the medicinal effects between the two.
(2) Purple bead leaves are often wrinkled and curled, and some may be broken. Intact purple bead leaves are mostly elliptical in shape. The leaf stalk is about 0.5-1.5 cm long, with a wide wedge-shaped or blunt round base and finely serrated edges, with a nearly entire margin near the base.
