Four Seasons Vine, the whole herb of the plant Parthenocissus tricuspidata, is a member of the Vitaceae family. It is mainly used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, damp-heat syndrome, and snake or dog bites. Other names include Sea Green, Dragon Pearl, and Nine Dragon Pearl. It is harvested in summer and can be used fresh or dried.
Parthenocissus tricuspidata is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant with no hairs. It has clustered stems with branches, which are four-sided and 10-30cm tall, pale greenish-white in color. The leaves are opposite, sessile, and ovate to narrow-ovate in shape, measuring 1-2.5cm in length and 5-15mm in width. The apex is pointed or slightly blunt, the base is rounded, and the margin is entire and papery. The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, with a pedicel 2-3cm long and no bracts. The sepals are divided into 5 lanceolate segments, 4-6mm long, and pointed. The corolla is radially symmetrical, 4-6mm long, and pale red in color, with obovate segments that are entire or have a slightly serrated apex and glandular marginal hairs. There are 5 stamens with hairy filaments and a superior ovary with a filamentous style. The fruit is spherical and about 4mm in diameter, with densely clustered tuberculate seeds. The flowering period is from March to May.
Parthenocissus tricuspidata grows in open fields, along field edges, and in wetlands.
It is distributed in Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, and other places.
Macroscopic identification: The whole herb is wrinkled. The stem has 4 sides, with a diameter of about 1mm. The surface is yellow-brown and hairless. The leaves are opposite, often fragmented, and when flattened, they are ovate or broadly elliptical, measuring 0.3-1.0cm in length and 2-6mm in width. The margin is entire, the upper surface is brownish-yellow, and the lower surface is yellowish-green, with no petiole. The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, and the sepals are deeply divided, reaching the base, with 5 lanceolate or spindle-shaped segments. The corolla is pale red and deeply divided into 5 lobes. It has a slight odor and a sour and astringent taste.
Toxicity: There is a significant difference in toxicity to livestock (sheep), but the reason for this is unknown.
Properties and tastes: Bitter, sour, warm.
Channels entered: Liver channel.
Dosage: Internal use: Decoction, 9-15g, or 15-30g of fresh herb; or pound into juice. External use: Appropriate amount, pound the fresh herb and apply as a poultice.
