The Chinese herb "Wuxiangcao" is the whole herb of the plant Isatis indigotica, which belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It is mainly distributed in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, Anhui, Zhejiang, and the eastern part of Jiangxi. Wuxiangcao has the effects of relieving the surface, dispelling heat, regulating qi, and relieving pain. It is used for symptoms such as cold, heatstroke, abdominal pain, gastric pain, sore throat, boils, and centipede bites.
Wuxiangcao is an annual aromatic herb, 30-40 cm tall, with many branches. The stem is square and sparsely covered with short, soft hairs.
The leaves are opposite, lanceolate, 2-3 cm long, 5-8 mm wide, gradually tapering at the apex, and wedge-shaped at the base. They have sparse serrations, smooth, and densely covered with glandular dots. The leaf stalk is 5 mm long.
The sparse cymose inflorescence is terminal; the bracts are very small, nearly circular, with short pointed tips; the flowers are about 6 mm long; the calyx is campanulate, 5-lobed, and covered with short hairs; the corolla is pale red, twice as long as the calyx, with an upright upper lip and a 3-lobed lower lip, with the central lobe being the largest.
There are 4 stamens, with the posterior stamens or upper stamens slightly protruding outside the corolla, with 2 widely divergent anthers; the anterior stamens or lower stamens are degenerate; there is 1 pistil, with a deeply 4-lobed ovary, a slightly protruding style, and 2 lobes on the stigma, which are unequal.
The small achene is brown, round, reticulate, with tiny glandular dots, and a distinct hilum at the base. It flowers from September to October and fruits from October to November.
Wuxiangcao prefers to grow in fertile soil on rural hillsides or under shade trees. It is most widely distributed in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, and the eastern part of Jiangxi in China.
Wuxiangcao has a natural fragrance and a strong taste. It is a unique seasoning in rural cuisine. Wuxiangcao can remove the smell of animal meat. Therefore, when cooking meat dishes, you can pick two or three leaves of Wuxiangcao, cut them into long sections, and stir-fry or stew them with the dish. Its rich aroma will whet your appetite.
Wuxiangcao is also a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with the effects of relieving the surface, dispelling heat, regulating qi, and relieving pain. Modern pharmacological research has confirmed that the decoction of Wuxiangcao has antibacterial effects and can promote lymphocyte transformation in healthy individuals and patients with acute nephritis, with immunomodulatory effects.
Therefore, Wuxiangcao is a good medicine for treating heatstroke, cold, and stomach pain. For internal use, it can be decocted and taken orally, with a dosage generally less than 45 grams. For external use, the fresh herb can be crushed and directly applied to the affected area.
