Shuo Ye, the Chinese name of the plant, is the whole herb or root of the honeysuckle family plant Shuo Ye. It has the effects of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, clearing away heat and detoxification, dispelling wind and dampness, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain, and promoting menstruation and bone healing. It is used to treat various inflammatory diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, lower back and leg pain, ulcers and abscesses, pneumonia, appendicitis, acute cellulitis, tumors, sprains, fractures, etc.
[Morphology of Shuo Ye plant]
Shuo Ye is a shrubby herbaceous plant that can grow up to 3 meters tall. The main root is vertical and there are not many lateral roots. The stem is ridged, smooth and hairless, and often branches out.
The leaves are opposite, odd-pinnate compound leaves, with 5 to 9 leaflets. The leaflets are long elliptical to lanceolate, measuring 8 to 15 centimeters in length and 3 to 5 centimeters in width. The apex is gradually pointed, and the base is oblique or broadly wedge-shaped. The edges have dense and sharp serrations. The upper side is dark green, the lower side is light green, and both sides are smooth and hairless, or there may be short pubescence on the veins of the leaves;
The leaf stalk of Shuo Ye is about 3 centimeters long, without stipules, and the leaflets have short or almost no stalks. The compound umbel inflorescence is terminal, with a diameter of about 20 to 30 centimeters, and it may have short pubescence or be slightly hairy; the bracts are small and lanceolate;
The flowers of Shuo Ye are small and white, with a calyx divided into 5 lobes, the lower part of which is fused into a bell shape. The corolla is radially symmetrical, with 5 lobes that are ovate in shape. There are 5 stamens, alternating with the lobes of the corolla, with short filaments and anthers that open outwards. There is 1 pistil, with an oval ovary and a head-shaped stigma. There are yellow cup-shaped glands interspersed among the flowers.
The fruit of Shuo Ye is spherical, red, with a diameter of 3 to 4 millimeters. It flowers in August and bears fruit in October.
[Habitat Distribution]
Shuo Ye grows at the foot of mountains and along rivers. It is distributed in Shandong, Henan, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, etc.
[Properties and Channels]
Shuo Ye has a sour taste and is warm in nature. It enters the liver channel.
1. "Bie Lu": "It has a sour taste, is warm, and is toxic."
2. "Yunnan Herbal Medicine Selection": "It is pungent and damp, and warm."
3. "Sichuan Herbal Medicine Records": "It has a slightly warm nature, a mild and sweet taste, and is non-toxic."
4. "Changsha Medicinal Explanation": "It enters the Foot Jueyin Liver Channel."
[Usage and Dosage]
Internal use: decoction, 2 to 4 qian (fresh: 3 to 4 liang) of Shuo Ye; Shuo Ye can be pounded and juiced or soaked in alcohol. External use: Shuo Ye can be boiled in water for bathing or pounded and applied as a poultice.
