The Chinese herb Dalangdu, also known as Soushanhu and Tugua Langdu, grows in the wilderness, on mountain slopes, or among grass. It is distributed in Yunnan and other places. What are the efficacy and functions of Dalangdu?
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Dalangdu has the effects of promoting blood circulation, stopping bleeding, killing parasites, and relieving itching. It is commonly used for traumatic bleeding, bruises and swelling, lymphadenitis, and scabies.
Dalangdu is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows to a height of 35-55cm. The whole plant contains white latex. The root is conical or cylindrical, with a diameter of 1-3cm. The outer skin is light brown, without lateral roots or with a few lateral roots.
The stem is clustered or single, cylindrical in shape, green and white, red, or green and white at the base with a purple-red halo. It is unbranched or has branches in the upper part. The leaves are opposite, sessile, and elliptical-lanceolate in shape, ranging from elliptical-oblong to lanceolate-ovate, measuring 2-5.8cm in length and 0.7-1.9cm in width. The apex is short and blunt, the base is wedge-shaped, the margin is entire, and the upper surface is green while the lower surface is gray-green, sometimes tinged with red.
The flowers are pale yellow, with terminal or nearly terminal axillary inflorescences. The terminal inflorescences have 5-9 pedicels arranged in an umbrella shape, with 5-9 leaf-like bracts in two rows. The axillary pedicel is solitary, with a cup-shaped inflorescence at the top or branched into 2-4 umbels.
The involucre is pale green and yellow, with longitudinal ridges. The apex is 5-lobed, inverted-ovate, with a slightly concave or entire margin. The outer glandular bodies are 4-5, oblong, orange-red or apricot-yellow, with white silky hairs on the inner surface.
There are mostly male flowers in Dalangdu, usually 1-3 stamens protruding above the glandular bodies. The filaments are bifurcated at the top into 2 anthers. There is one female flower in the middle, with a longer pedicel that extends outside the involucre. The ovary is nearly spherical, densely covered with prickles, and has 3 styles and a bifurcated stigma.
The capsule is triquetrous and spherical, with small wart-like projections and red prickles. The seeds are ovoid, reddish-brown, about 5mm in length, with a distinct white hilum at one end. The flowering period is in summer.
