Lady Lourou vegetable is a type of traditional Chinese medicinal herb that promotes blood circulation. It can be found throughout China and is known for its effects in regulating menstruation, invigorating the spleen, eliminating dampness, and detoxifying the body. It is commonly used for irregular menstruation, low milk supply, infantile malnutrition, spleen deficiency edema, and abscesses.
【Morphological Characteristics of Lady Lourou Vegetable】
Lady Lourou vegetable is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant that can grow up to 20-80 centimeters tall. The entire plant is densely covered with short, soft hairs. The stem is erect and often branched at the base. The leaves are opposite, lanceolate to elliptic in shape, 2-5 centimeters long and 3-8 millimeters wide. The tips are gradually pointed, the bases are wedge-shaped, and the margins are entire. The leaves in the upper part of the stem are sessile, while the lower leaves have petioles. The inflorescence is an umbel-like cluster with 2-3 branching levels, and each branch has 2-3 flowers. The bracts are linear in shape. The calyx is elliptic, covered with short, soft hairs on the outside, and has more than 10 longitudinal veins. The apex is divided into 5 lobes. The petals are pink or white, obovate in shape, with 2 shallow lobes at the apex and a narrow claw-like base. There are 2 scales at the throat. The fruit is ovoid and the same length as the calyx. The seeds are numerous, small, dark brown, and have blunt wart-like protrusions. The flowering period is from April to June, and the fruiting period is from June to August.
【Effects and Functions of Lady Lourou Vegetable】
Lady Lourou vegetable has a pungent and bitter taste and a neutral nature. It has the effects of promoting blood circulation, regulating menstruation, invigorating the spleen, and diuresis. It is used to treat irregular menstruation, low milk supply, infantile malnutrition, difficult urination, spleen deficiency edema, and abscesses.
1. "Guizhou Herbal Medicine": Pungent, slightly warm.
2. "Ningxia Herbal Medicine Manual": Bitter, sweet, neutral.
3. "Guizhou Herbal Medicine": Promotes blood circulation, disperses accumulations, invigorates the spleen, and detoxifies. Used for irregular menstruation, infantile malnutrition, and abscesses.
4. "Ningxia Herbal Medicine Manual": Promotes lactation and diuresis.
【Usage of Lady Lourou Vegetable】
The edible part of Lady Lourou vegetable is the tender leaves. In spring and summer, the tender leaves are harvested, cleaned, blanched in boiling water for a moment, and then rinsed with cold water to remove bitterness. They can be eaten cold, stir-fried, or used in soups.
1. For the treatment of irregular menstruation (delayed): Take 5 grams of Lady Lourou vegetable and 3 grams of Xuejianghua, decoct in wine, and take it warm twice a day. ("Guizhou Herbal Medicine")
2. For the treatment of low milk supply in postpartum women: Take 5 grams of Lady Lourou vegetable, 5 grams of Astragalus, and 3 grams of Angelica sinensis, decoct in water, and take it. ("Ningxia Herbal Medicine Manual")
3. For the treatment of spleen deficiency edema: Take 5 grams of Lady Lourou vegetable, 5 grams of Atractylodes macrocephala, and 5 grams of Poria cocos, decoct in water, and take it. ("Ningxia Herbal Medicine Manual")
4. For the treatment of abscesses: Take an appropriate amount of Xuejianghua and Niumaotan, crush into a paste, and apply it to the affected area. ("Guizhou Herbal Medicine")
