Diding Grass is a kind of Chinese herbal medicine that has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying. It is commonly used to treat sores and abscesses, especially for those on the head, face, and back. It can be combined with other herbs like dandelion, chrysanthemum, and honeysuckle to make a formula called "Five Flavor Disinfectant Drink".
Purple Diding Grass is a perennial herbaceous plant, 7-15 cm tall, covered with white short hairs. It has a thick yellowish-white main root. The leaves are clustered at the base of the plant, with leaf stalks 3-10 cm long, slightly winged on both sides in the upper part;
The bracts are membranous, linear-lanceolate, attached to the leaf stalk; the leaf blades are elliptic, ovate-lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, 2-9 cm long, 0.5-3.5 cm wide, with a blunt apex, shallowly cordate or truncate at the base, and with shallow blunt teeth along the edges.
The flowers are axillary, pale purple, with a diameter of about 1.5 cm; the flower stalks are 4-10 cm long, with 2 linear bracts in the middle; there are 5 lanceolate sepals, with rounded appendages below the sepals;
There are 5 petals, inverted ovate-elliptic, with one of them larger, elongated at the base into a pouch-like or tubular spur, about 7 mm long; there are 5 stamens, with fused anthers, wide connectives surrounding the ovary, and short and wide filaments;
The bases of the lower 2 stamens have appendages with nectar glands, which extend into the spur; the ovary is superior, with 3 carpels, 1 chamber, numerous ovules, 1 style, and 3-cleft stigma.
The capsule is oblong, about 1 cm long, splitting into 3 fruit valves, each with ridges, and with persistent sepals at the base. The seeds are ovate, brownish-yellow, and smooth. The flowering period is from March to April, and the fruiting period is from May to August.
1. Reducing swelling and detoxification
Diding Grass has the effect of clearing heat, detoxifying, and reducing swelling and pain. It is effective in relieving high fever and irritability, and it has a good effect on influenza, upper respiratory tract infection, tonsillitis, and mumps.
2. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
Modern pharmacology shows that Diding Grass can treat bacterial infections such as enteritis, nephritis, hepatitis, acute appendicitis, conjunctivitis, dysentery, and other suppurative infections.
3. Reducing swelling and relieving pain
Diding Grass has the effect of reducing swelling and relieving pain caused by various infections. It can be used to treat swelling, abscesses, breast carbuncle, and boils.
4. Treating snake bites
Fresh Diding Grass juice can be taken orally, or it can be mashed and applied externally with a little realgar.
In addition to the above medicinal effects, Diding Grass also has excellent edible effects. People can consume fresh Diding Grass as a vegetable in their daily diet, which can absorb abundant plant proteins, soluble sugars, and various amino acids.
Diding Grass is commonly used to treat sores and abscesses, especially for those on the head, face, and back. It can be combined with other herbs like dandelion, chrysanthemum, and honeysuckle to make a formula called "Five Flavor Disinfectant Drink".
Dosage: 9-15g in a compound formula, 30-60g as a single herb.
Prescription example: Five Flavor Disinfectant Drink from "Yi Zong Jin Jian": 15g of Purple Diding Grass, 15g of dandelion, 15g of honeysuckle, 9g of wild chrysanthemum, 9g of purple back Tiankui, decocted in water, and it is better to drink it with a spoonful of ginger white wine.
Contraindications: Avoid taking it for patients with necrotic swelling without a head or spleen and stomach deficiency cold. People with a constitution of deficiency cold should also avoid taking Diding Grass.
