As a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, Baogaicao has many benefits. Let's take a look at the morphology of Baogaicao and its compound applications.
Picture of Baogaicao
【Morphology of Baogaicao】
Baogaicao is an annual erect herb. The stem is weak, square-shaped, often purple, and sparsely hairy, ranging from 10 to 60 centimeters in height. The leaves are kidney-shaped or circular, with heart-shaped or circular bases, with rounded teeth and small notches on the edges, and hairy on both sides. The leaves on the stem have stems, while the leaves on the stem do not. The flowers are arranged in clusters of 2 to several, sessile, axillary, and without bracts. The calyx is tubular, about 5 to 6 millimeters long, with 5 teeth, and covered with long fine hairs on the outside and edges. The corolla is purple-red, 9 to 17 millimeters long, covered with hairs on the outside, with a slender corolla tube, no hair ring at the base, an enlarged throat, an upright upper lip, elongated oval, helmet-shaped, and a 3-lobed lower lip with a fan-shaped middle lobe, deeply concave at the tip, and wide triangular side lobes. There are 4 stamens, 2 of which are strong and have red anthers, and the 2-cleft pistil is needle-shaped.
The small nut is elongated with 3 edges and a truncated top, dark brown, with white scale-like protrusions. The flowering period is from March to April, and the fruiting period is in June.
【Habitat Distribution】
Baogaicao grows on roadsides and wastelands. It is distributed in Northeast China, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei, Tibet, and other places.
【Chemical Composition】
Baogaicao leaves contain volatile aldehyde glucosides: wild sesame glycoside, deacetyl wild sesame glycoside, wild sesame new glycoside, and dehydrogenated wild sesame new glycoside. The content of wild sesame new glycoside in fresh leaves is about 0.02%.
【Compound Applications of Baogaicao】
① For fractures and tendon injuries caused by falls: 2 liang of Jiegucao, 1 liang of purple kudzu root (ground), 1 liang of dendrobium (root ground), 1 (or 2) liang of dodder, 1 liang of cloves, and 1 liang of Xuduan, with coarse gauze as a powder. Regardless of the time, take 2 qian with warm wine. (From "Shenghui Fang" Jiegucao Powder)
② For bruises and swelling that prevents walking: Jiegucao, almroot root, and large thistle. Grind them with egg white and honey, and apply to the affected area. Change it once a night. If the pain persists for a long time, add onion and ginger to the mixture.
③ For phlegm and fire, red and swollen and painful hands and feet: 5 qian of Jiegucao, 2 qian of chicken foot thorn root, and 2 qian of turmeric. Grind them together, burn with wine, and apply to the affected area three times. After the swelling subsides and the pain stops, add Canger, Baizhi, and Chuanxiong, and remove turmeric and chicken foot thorn root. Boil in water and wine and take three times.
④ For women with nodules on both legs, resembling peaches and plums, red, swollen, and hard: 3 qian of Jiegucao. Boil in water and take with wine. If it recurs, add Weilingxian, Fangfeng, and Tiger's Paw Grass, and take three times. (The following formulas are from "Dian Nan Ben Cao")
⑤ For lymph node tuberculosis: 1 or 2 liang of fresh Baogaicao seedlings, 2 eggs, stir-fry and eat together. 2 or 3 liang of Baogaicao, 2 or 3 eggs. Boil together, remove the shell after the eggs are cooked, and continue to boil for half an hour. Eat the eggs and drink the soup. Take it every other day, three to four times in total. (From "Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual" by Su Yi)
⑥ For facial paralysis and hemiplegia: Jiegucao, Fangfeng, Gouteng, and Danxing. Boil in water, take half with water and the other half with burning wine. (From "Dian Nan Ben Cao")
