Fodouhua is the root or whole herb of the plant Zhe-Wan coarse tube gloxinia, which belongs to the family Gesneriaceae. Fodouhua can be used to treat soreness in the muscles and bones. Let's take a closer look at what Fodouhua is.
Image of Fodouhua
【Treatment of Muscle and Bone Soreness with Fodouhua】
To treat fatigue, and soreness in the muscles and bones, take 12-15g of Fodouhua root. Decoct it and mix it with yellow wine and brown sugar for consumption.
Fodouhua is mainly used to dispel wind, relieve surface symptoms, promote blood circulation, and reduce swelling. It is commonly used for symptoms such as headache and cold, fatigue, soreness in the muscles and bones, abscesses, and unidentified swelling and toxicity.
The whole plant has a bitter and sweet taste, and a slightly cold nature. It can clear heat, detoxify, reduce swelling, and relieve pain. It is used for snake bites.
For internal use, decoct 10-15g of Fodouhua. For external use, apply a suitable amount of fresh Fodouhua, or extract the juice and apply it.
Image of Fodouhua
【What is Fodouhua?】
Fodouhua, also known as Zhe-Wan coarse tube gloxinia, is a perennial herb. All the leaves are basal; leaf stalks are 1.2-4cm long and covered with brownish hairs; leaf blades are elliptic-oblong or narrowly elliptic, 4-10cm long and 2-2.5cm wide, with a blunt apex, wide wedge-shaped base, slightly asymmetric, and serrated edges. The upper surface is densely covered with short soft hairs, and the lower surface is densely covered with rust-colored hairs along the veins, with sparse short soft hairs elsewhere.
The peduncles are 2-4, about 10-16cm tall; the umbellate inflorescence branches 1-2 times, with 1-5 flowers per inflorescence; the inflorescence stalk is 11-17cm long and sparsely covered with rust-colored hairs; the bracts are 2, narrowly ovate to linear-lanceolate, and hairy; the calyx is about 1cm long, 5-lobed to the base, and densely covered with rust-colored hairs on the outside.
The corolla is purple-red, about 4cm long, sparsely covered with short soft hairs on the outside, with purple spots on the inside, swollen below, with a 2-lobed upper lip and a 3-lobed lower lip; there are 4 stamens, with paired anthers; the flower disk is annular; the ovary is narrowly linear, about 9mm long, with a short style covered with fine soft hairs.
The capsule is inversely lanceolate, 4.5-7cm long, with a short pointed tip at the apex. The seeds are numerous, small, and smooth on the surface. The flowering period is from August to September, and the fruiting period is from October to November.
