The leaves and bark of the purple oilwood belong to the same family of plants, the Anacardiaceae family. Although they are similar in many ways, their medicinal values are quite different. Let's take a look at the differences in the medicinal values of the bark and leaves of the purple oilwood.
Image of the purple oilwood
【Plant Morphology of the Purple Oilwood】
The purple oilwood is a shrub or small tree, reaching a height of 2-8 meters, occasionally up to 10-15 meters. The bark is gray, with brown lenticels on the small branches and gray-yellow pubescence on the young branches.
The leaves are pinnately compound, with 4-9 pairs of leaflets. The leaf axis has narrow wings and is grooved on the upper side, with gray pubescence. The leaflets are leathery, oblong or ovate-oblong, measuring 1.3-3.5 cm long and 0.8-1.5 cm wide, occasionally larger (5×1.8 cm). The tip is slightly notched with a spine-like hard point, and the base is slightly asymmetric and broadly wedge-shaped. The leaf margin is entire, slightly rolled back, with very fine pubescence on the midvein on both surfaces. The lateral veins are slightly concave on the upper side and prominent on the lower side. The petiole of the leaflets is very short.
The flowers are axillary, appearing with the leaves, and covered with yellow-brown pubescence and red glandular hairs. The flowers are small, purple-red, sessile, with one ovate bract concave on the outside, measuring about 1.5 mm in diameter and covered with brown pubescence and fine cilia on the edges.
The fruit is globose to ellipsoid, about 5 mm long and 6 mm in diameter. When ripe, it is copper-green, partially purple-red or pink. The seeds are ellipsoid, resembling soybeans, and are yellow-brown to yellow-brownish, with a few pink ones. The flowering period is in March and the fruit ripens in September to October.
Image of the purple oilwood leaves
The purple oilwood has the effects of dispelling evil qi, warming the middle burner, regulating qi, relieving pain, generating body fluids, quelling thirst, strengthening teeth, and eliminating bad breath, and is used as medicine for its anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, astringent, and antidiarrheal effects.
【Medicinal Value of the Purple Oilwood Bark】
The purple oilwood bark, which is the bark of the Anacardiaceae plant, has a bitter and slightly cold taste. It is known for its hemostatic effect and is used to treat external bleeding caused by trauma.
"Yunnan Simao Selected Herbal Medicine": "Hemostatic effect. Used to treat bleeding caused by trauma."
Common usage: External use, powdered and applied.
When using purple oilwood bark, avoid consuming fish, shrimp, crab, lamb, pork, and other foods.
Image of the purple oilwood bark
【Medicinal Value of the Purple Oilwood Leaves】
The purple oilwood leaves, which are the leaves of the Anacardiaceae plant, have the effects of clearing heat, dispelling dampness, and relieving stagnation. They are used to treat dysentery, diarrhea, food stagnation, eczema, and measles.
The purple oilwood leaves can also be used to dispel dampness. Boil 9-15g of purple oilwood leaves in water to make a decoction, and then take it orally to dispel dampness. It is effective in treating people who are prone to dampness in the summer.
In traditional Chinese medicine, drinking a decoction of purple oilwood leaves can effectively treat gastrointestinal discomfort such as food stagnation, diarrhea, and dysentery. It also has certain therapeutic effects on diseases such as measles and eczema.
The purple oilwood leaves can be used to extract aromatic oil, which is commonly used in the form of powder for making "incense". It is also a good feed for pigs. The whole plant of the purple oilwood has a strong pepper aroma and can purify the air and repel mosquitoes and flies.
1. "Commonly Used Herbal Medicine in Sichuan": "Regulates qi and relieves pain. Used to treat abdominal pain, diarrhea, dysentery, cracked feet, etc."
2. "Yunnan Herbal Medicine": "Clears heat and detoxifies. Used to treat dysentery, enteritis, diarrhea, sores, eczema, measles, and food stagnation."
