Chinese herbal medicine "Da Guolu Huang" is the whole plant of the Verbesina encelioides, a plant of the Asteraceae family. It is distributed in Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, and other places. Da Guolu Huang has the functions of dispersing wind, clearing heat, and detoxification. It is commonly used for cough due to wind-heat, sore throat, and hot ulcers.
What diseases can Da Guolu Huang treat?
1. It is used to treat early stages of jaundice and weakness: Take three leaves of Shennian Dui Zuo Cao, three qian of Bai He Bao Cao, Ping Di Mu, and Yin Chen. Cook in water and divide into three doses, taken in the morning, noon, and evening. (Bai Cao Jing)
2. It is used to treat ascites: Take a suitable amount of fresh Da Guolu Huang, mash it and apply it to the navel. (Shanghai Commonly Used Chinese Medicinal Herbs)
3. It is used to treat kidney deficiency and edema: Use Sichuan Da Jin Qian Cao, Xiao Hui Xiang, and stew them with pig trotters for consumption. (Sichuan Chinese Medicine Records)
4. It is used to treat urinary calculi: Take one liang of Da Guolu Huang, decoct and consume. (Hunan Materia Medica Records)
5. It is used to treat all types of hernias: Use Xian Ren Dui Zuo Cao, Qing Mu Xiang. Mash the two ingredients and mix with alcohol for consumption. (Liu Yu Yi's Experience Formula)
6. It is used to treat boils: Mash Da Guolu Huang, mix with rice water or alcohol for consumption. (Hunan Materia Medica Records)
7. It is used to treat bruises and injuries: Take fresh Da Guolu Huang, wash it, mash it into juice, and consume a small cup. (Shanghai Commonly Used Chinese Medicinal Herbs)
What are the morphological characteristics of Da Guolu Huang?
1. Stem:
The stem usually grows in clusters, knee-curved and erect, 10-30 centimeters high. In shady and humid habitats, the lower part of the stem often elongates and creeps, with roots growing on the nodes. The upper part of the stem is zigzag and can grow up to 60 centimeters long. It can be single or branched, densely covered with 1-1.5-millimeter-long multicellular hairs.
2. Leaves:
The leaves are opposite, with the two pairs at the top of the stem close together and arranged in a whorl. They are usually 1-2 times larger than the lower leaves. The leaf blade is ovate to ovate-oblong, occasionally lanceolate, 1.5-8 centimeters long, and 8-40 millimeters wide. The apex is sharply pointed or slightly blunt with a sudden sharp tip. The base is broadly wedge-shaped, dark green on the upper surface and lighter on the lower surface, with both sides covered with rough hairs up to 1 millimeter long.
3. Flowers:
The inflorescence is terminal, nearly head-like, with many flowers. The peduncle is 1-7 millimeters long, densely covered with soft hairs. The calyx is 6-9 millimeters long, split nearly to the base, with lanceolate lobes and a tapering tip on the back, covered with soft hairs. The corolla is yellow, 10-13 millimeters long, with a fused base about 3 millimeters long, and lobes inverted ovate or oblong, 4-6 millimeters wide, with a sharply pointed or round tip and transparent glandular spots.
What is the growth environment of Da Guolu Huang?
Da Guolu Huang is the whole plant of the Verbesina encelioides, a plant of the Asteraceae family. It grows under broad-leaved forests, in valleys, along roadsides, at altitudes of 600-2600 meters. It is distributed in Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, and other places.
Taste and Meridian Tropism:
Da Guolu Huang has a mild taste and is neutral in nature. It enters the Lung and Stomach meridians.
Usage and Dosage:
Orally: Decoction, 15-30g. Topical: As needed, apply fresh herb directly or use as a decoction for washing.
