Ladies grass is the whole plant of the Caryophyllaceae plant Ladies grass. It is distributed throughout the country and is used in traditional medicine for promoting blood circulation, regulating menstruation, invigorating the spleen, and eliminating dampness. It is commonly used for irregular menstruation, pediatric malnutrition, spleen deficiency edema, and abscesses.
1. Morphological identification
The entire plant is densely covered with short and soft hairs, measuring 20-70 cm in length. The roots are slender and spindle-shaped, and become woody. The base of the stem often branches. The leaves are opposite, with entire leaf blades lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, measuring 4-7 cm in length and 4-8 mm in width. The apex is sharp and the base gradually narrows. The upper leaves are sessile.
The flowers are pink, usually 2-3 in number and borne on branches. The capsules are elliptical. The seeds are kidney-shaped, small, and dark brown, with small tuberculate protrusions along the edges. It has a slight odor and a mild taste.
2. Microscopic identification
Leaf surface: The outer epidermal cells have obvious convex walls compared to the inner epidermis, and the stomata of the upper and lower epidermis are straight axis and indefinite axis. The upper and lower epidermis have non-glandular hairs composed of 2-3 cells, especially prominent along the veins;
The tips of the non-glandular hairs are slightly curved or straight, measuring 292-1000 μm in length and 17-42 μm in diameter. The apex is blunt and the wall is thin, with distinct wart-like protrusions. The leaf mesophyll cells contain clusters of calcium oxalate crystals, measuring 17-84 μm in diameter.
