Wood Lotus Fruit has a delicious taste, but it is actually a type of Chinese medicinal herb. It has the effects of relieving constipation and cough. Do you know the ripening time of the wood lotus fruit? Let's find out together with the following explanation!
[Ripening Time of Wood Lotus Fruit]
Wood lotus fruit is harvested in August (around the time of the end of summer) before the fruit ripens and cracks. Cut off the remaining fruit stalk and dry it thoroughly in the sun.
Wood lotus fruit is a tall tree that can grow up to 20m. The young branches and buds are covered with reddish-brown short hairs. The leaves are alternate; leaf stalks are 1-3cm long; stipule scars are semi-elliptical, 3-4cm long;
The leaves of the wood lotus fruit are leathery, narrow oval or lanceolate in shape, 8-17cm long and 2.5-5.5cm wide, with a pointed tip and usually a blunt head, a wedge-shaped base, slightly curled edges, and sparsely red-brown hairs on the back of the leaves, with 8-12 pairs of lateral veins.
Flower stalks are 6-18mm long, covered with red-brown short hairs, bracts fall off, leaving a scar ring.
There are 9 petals, white in color, with 3 outer petals, elongated oval in shape, 6-7cm long, and 2 inner petals, inverted egg-shaped, 5-6cm long; numerous stamens, about 1cm long, with short blunt triangular protrusions; carpels numerous, carpel group about 1.5cm long.
[Methods of Consuming Wood Lotus Fruit]
1. Ginseng and lotus fruit soup
Method: Soak 10g of white ginseng and 10 pieces of wood lotus fruit in water, then steam with 30g of rock sugar for one hour before consuming.
Usage: The ginseng can be left for the next day and steamed with lotus fruit using the same method. It can be used for three consecutive times.
Effects: It has the function of replenishing qi and invigorating the spleen, and is suitable for post-illness weakness, spleen deficiency and thinness, tiredness, spontaneous sweating, and diarrhea, among other symptoms.
2. Stewed pig stomach with lotus fruit
Method: Clean one pig stomach, stuff it with 40 pieces of deseeded wood lotus fruit, sew it with thread, stew until cooked, then slice the pig stomach and place it on a plate together with the lotus fruit. Add an appropriate amount of sesame oil, salt, green onion, ginger, and garlic for seasoning before consuming.
Usage: It has the functions of strengthening the spleen and stomach, tonifying deficiency, and invigorating qi. It is suitable for reduced food intake, thinness with diarrhea, and edema, among other symptoms.
[Indications of Wood Lotus Fruit as an Ingredient]
1. Nocturnal emission: Take equal amounts of fried wood lotus and white asiatic hawthorn, grind them into powder, and take two qian (a unit of weight) each time with rice soup.
2. Enlarged renal cyst: Burn the wood lotus into ashes, grind it into powder, and take two qian with wine. Another method is to grind wood lotus seeds and caraway seeds into powder, take two qian on an empty stomach with wine.
3. Bloody stool: Take equal amounts of burned wood lotus and fried bitter orange peel, grind them into powder, and take two qian with sophora flower wine. Another method is to take two qian of burned wood lotus, palm bark, and fried powdered grass, add a bowl of water, and boil before consuming.
4. Prolapse of the anus: Cut the wood lotus with skin and seeds into small pieces, fry them, and grind them into powder. Mix with poria and hogfennel in equal amounts. Take two qian each time with rice soup. This formula is also used to treat nocturnal emission.
5. Early stage of carbuncle and furuncle: Take forty-nine wood lotus fruits, remove the hairs, grind them finely, dissolve in wine, and take warm. Its effect is similar to that of honeysuckle.
6. Blocked lactation: Take two wood lotus fruits and one pig front trotter, cook until soft and take the juice. It can promote lactation in one day.
7. Hematuria: Take a handful of wood lotus leaves and one part of roasted licorice, decoct lightly and take daily.
8. Vitiligo, scabies, etc.: Apply the juice of wood lotus vine topically.
