Luoshuanghong, as a type of traditional Chinese medicine, has many medicinal properties. Let's explore the efficacy, functions, and plant morphology of Luoshuanghong together.
【Properties and Channels】
Luoshuanghong has a taste of sweetness and bitterness, and it is cool in nature. It belongs to the Heart and Liver meridians.
① "Jiangxi Herbal Medicine": "Bitter and cold."
② "Fujian Herbal Medicine": "Sweet, bitter, and cool."
【Usage and Dosage】
External use: Apply an appropriate amount of Luoshuanghong and apply it topically or grind it into a paste for topical application.
【Efficacy and Functions of Luoshuanghong】
In traditional Chinese medicine, Luoshuanghong is believed to have the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, cooling blood, and stopping bleeding. It is commonly used for treating burns, stomatitis, ulceration, and external bleeding.
1. "Jiangxi Herbal Medicine": "Cooling blood, stopping bleeding, detoxifying. Used for burns, stomatitis, and external bleeding."
2. "Fujian Herbal Medicine": "Clears heat and detoxifies. Used for treating ulcers."
【Morphology of Luoshuanghong Plant】
Luoshuanghong is also known as Ilex cornuta, Small-leaved Holly, or Fine-leaf Holly. It is a deciduous shrub that grows about 1-2 meters tall. The bark is gray, and the small branches have either hard hairs or are nearly hairless, with obvious lenticels.
The leaves are alternate, with petioles measuring 6-8mm. The leaf blades are membranous, elliptical, rarely ovoid or inverted ovoid, measuring 2-9cm in length and 1-4cm in width. The apex is gradually pointed, the base is wedge-shaped, the margin has sharp serrations, the upper surface is concave, the lower surface is convex, and the veins are clearly visible, with sparse hard hairs on both sides.
The flowers are arranged in solitary umbels in the leaf axils. The male flowers are 4-5 in number, with a flower stalk measuring 2.5mm in length, a calyx diameter of 1.5-2mm, triangular calyx lobes with soft hairs on the outside, and a corolla diameter of 4.5-5mm. The petals are oblong, slightly fused at the base, and the stamens are slightly shorter than the corolla. The female flowers are 4-5 in number, with a flower stalk measuring 2-3mm in length, a calyx similar to that of the male flowers, a corolla diameter of 4.5mm, oval petals, and a disc-shaped stigma.
The fruit is spherical, with a diameter of about 5mm, red in color, and consists of 4-5 rarely 1 broadly elliptical drupes with a smooth back and a leathery pericarp. The flowering period is from August to September, and the fruiting period is in October.
