The traditional Chinese medicine, Centipede Grass, has the functions of dispelling wind, promoting blood circulation, detoxification, and insecticide. It is used for preventing and treating influenza, dysentery, rheumatic pain, and injuries from falls and blows. It can also be applied externally to treat centipede bites and scabies. Do you know what Centipede Grass looks like?
Image of Centipede Grass
【Ecological Habits of Centipede Grass】
1. Climate
Centipede Grass prefers warm climates, with optimal growth temperatures of 24-26°C during the day and 15-21°C at night.
2. Sunlight
It thrives in bright diffused light, but can also tolerate low light conditions.
3. Humidity
It requires air humidity of 50%-60%.
4. Soil
It prefers loose and well-drained neutral or slightly acidic soil. It is not frost-resistant but can withstand drought and poor soil conditions.
【Morphology of Centipede Grass】
Centipede Grass is a perennial herbaceous plant, reaching a height of 1.3-2m. Its rhizome is short and covered with lanceolate yellow-brown scales, forming a reticulated central column. The leaves are clustered, with leaf stalks measuring 10-30cm in length. When dry, the leaf stalks turn brown. The leaf stalks, leaf axes, and rachises are all covered with linear scales.
The leaves are lanceolate to elliptic, measuring 10-100cm in length and 5-30cm in width, forming pinnate compound leaves. The leaflets are sessile, linear, 4-20cm long and 0.5-1cm wide. The central leaflet is the longest, tapering to a pointed tip with sharp serrations along the edges. The base of the leaflet is truncate or heart-shaped, sometimes slightly lobed. The lower leaflets gradually become shorter. The leaves are subcoriaceous, hairless on both sides, with a single vein or occasionally forked veins.
The sporangial sori are linear, and the sporangial covers are narrow and membranous, with a yellow-brown color.
