Fo Du Hua, a bitter herbaceous plant of the Compositae family. It is a perennial medicinal herb. Also known as Hua Dong Fo, Du Ju Tai, Yan Qing Cai, Shi Yan San Qi, Jin Si Cao, Hu Pi, Yan Bai Cai, and Xiao He Cao. It is distributed in Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces. Fo Du Hua is mainly used to dispel wind and relieve surface symptoms, promote blood circulation, and reduce swelling and abscesses.
Picture of Fo Du Hua
Fo Du Hua, also known as Zhe Wan Cu Tong Ju Tai, is a perennial herb. All leaves are basal; leaf stalk is 1.2-4cm long, covered with brownish hairs; leaf blade is elliptic-oblong or narrowly elliptic, 4-10cm long, 2-2.5cm wide, blunt at the apex, wide-wedge-shaped at the base, slightly asymmetric, with serrated edges, densely covered with short soft hairs on the upper surface, and rust-colored hairs along the leaf veins on the lower surface, with sparsely distributed short soft hairs in other parts.
Flower scapes are 2-4, 10-16cm tall; umbel inflorescence branches 1-2 times, each inflorescence has 1-5 flowers; inflorescence stalk is 11-17cm long, sparsely covered with rust-colored hairs; bracts are 2, narrowly obovate to linear-lanceolate, hairy; calyx is about 1cm long, 5-lobed to the base, densely covered with rust-colored hairs on the outside.
Corolla is purple-red, about 4cm long, sparsely covered with short soft hairs on the outside, with purple spots on the inside, swollen below, upper lip 2-lobed, lobes rounded, lower lip 3-lobed, lobes elongated; stamens are 4, anthers paired; flower disk is annular; ovary is narrow linear, about 9mm long, style is short, covered with tiny soft hairs.
Capsule is inversely lanceolate, 4.5-7cm long, with a short pointed tip at the apex. Seeds are numerous, small, and smooth on the surface. Flowering period is from August to September, and fruiting period is from October to November.
Fo Du Hua is mainly used to dispel wind and relieve surface symptoms, promote blood circulation, and reduce swelling and abscesses. It is commonly used for cold headaches, fatigue, soreness in muscles and bones, abscesses, and unknown swellings.
The whole plant is bitter and slightly cold in nature. It clears heat, detoxifies, reduces swelling, and relieves pain. It is used for snake bites.
Internal use: Decoction, 10-15g. External use: Fresh fo du hua, appropriate amount, mashed and applied; or juice extracted and applied.
[Dai Medicine] Ma Hong Niang (Xishuangbanna Dai): The root is used for yellowing complexion, emaciation, fatigue, loss of appetite, frequent urination, painful urination, and blood in the urine (recorded in "Dian Yao Lu", "Dian Province Annals", "Xishuangbanna Dai Medicine", "Dai Medicine"). Shou Du, Ma Hong Niang: The root has the same functions as mentioned above (recorded in "Dai Yao Lu").
