Red leg powder, also known as Flower Butterfly, is the root and whole plant of the Polygonum aviculare, a plant in the Polygonaceae family. It is a traditional Chinese medicine that has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting blood circulation, and reducing swelling. Now let's learn about the efficacy and usage of red leg powder.
【Morphological Characteristics of Red Leg Powder】
Red leg powder grows in clusters. In the spring, the young branches, petioles, and leaf veins are all purple-red. In the summer, the mature leaves are green with rusty red spots in the center and light purple-red edges.
The stems are relatively slender and purple in color, with nodes on the stems. The leaves are alternate, ovate-triangular, and often have 2 rounded ears at the base, resembling arrowheads, with purple-black markings on the upper surface.
There is a membranous sheath at the leaf base, and the inflorescence is in the form of a head, with several small pink or white flowers on the top of the stem.
The flowering period is from July to August, and after flowering, it produces black oval-shaped fruit. It prefers light but can tolerate shade, and is resistant to cold and barren soil.
Cultivation methods: It can be propagated by seeding or division. Division can be done in spring and autumn, and seeding is best done in spring.
【Efficacy and Functions of Red Leg Powder】
Red leg powder has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting blood circulation, and reducing swelling. It is mainly used to treat dysentery, leukorrhea, fever and headache, irregular menstruation, breast abscess, and injuries caused by falls.
1. "Compilation of Folk Commonly Used Herbs": "Clears heat from the three burners. Treats dizziness."
2. "Pharmacopoeia of Hunan Province": "Analgesic."
3. "New Selection of Practical Chinese Herbal Medicine in Guangxi": "Reduces swelling and detoxifies. Treats snake bites, abscesses, unknown swellings, and mastitis."
4. "Commonly Used Chinese Herbs in Sichuan": "Clears heat, promotes blood circulation. Treats internal injuries, fever and headache, excessive menstruation, amenorrhea, cough due to deficiency fire, bloody and mucous dysentery, abscesses and ulcers caused by toxic heat."
【Formulas and Applications of Red Leg Powder】
1. To treat dysentery: Take 1 liang (about 30 grams) of Polygonum aviculare, decoct in water and take orally.
2. To relieve abdominal pain: Take 5 qian (about 15 grams) of Polygonum aviculare and 1 qian (about 3 grams) of Moschus, decoct in water and take orally.
3. To treat abscesses: Mash Polygonum aviculare and apply it on the affected area.
4. To treat injuries caused by falls: Decoct Polygonum aviculare in water and mix with wine for oral administration.
5. To treat mastitis: Mash the whole plant of red leg powder or potatoes and buckwheat, and apply it externally with wine residue.
