The medicinal plant Ya Song is a one-year-old herb, growing 5-30cm tall. It is found on slopes or cliffs in mountain valleys. The whole plant with roots is harvested in spring or summer, washed, and dried or used fresh.
Image of Ya Song
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Ya Song has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. It is used to treat hot toxic abscesses, erysipelas, orchitis, burns, damp sores, bacterial dysentery, and amoebic dysentery.
In addition, Ya Song has a sedative effect and can promote wound healing.
Treatment for pediatric erysipelas: 15g of Ya Song, 9g each of Honeysuckle, Forsythia, Isatis, Dandelion, Cortex Moutan, Red Paeonia, and Desmodium. Boil in water and take orally. ("Natural Medicinal Plants of Qinling and Bashan Mountains")
Treatment for orchitis: Appropriate amount of Ya Song. Mash and apply externally. ("Natural Medicinal Plants of Qinling and Bashan Mountains")
Ya Song is a one-year-old herb with hairless and root-like stems. The stem is solitary or clustered, 5-30cm tall. The leaves are arranged in a whorl of 3-5, oblong-spatulate, 8-20mm long and 2-4mm wide. The apex is sharply pointed and the base gradually narrows. The leaves are entire, stalkless or nearly stalkless. The inflorescence is a cone or umbel-shaped with long branches. Flowers are sparse, with some inflorescences growing in the leaf axils. The pedicel is 5-8mm long and slender. The calyx has 5 narrow triangular to lanceolate lobes. The petals are white, rectangular-ovate in shape. There are 10 stamens with broad spatulate scales and deep notches at the apex. The pistil is nearly erect, with the lower part fused and small nipple-like projections. The fruit is small with a few seeds.
