Buddha's Belly Flower, also known as bitter lettuce moss, is a perennial herb in the Gentianaceae family. It is also known as Hua Dong Fo, Du Ju Tai, Yan Qing Cai, Shi Yan San Qi, Jin Si Cao, Hu Pi, Yan Bai Cai, and Xiao He Cao. It is distributed in Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces. Buddha's Belly Flower is primarily used to dispel wind and relieve surface symptoms, and to promote blood circulation and resolve abscesses.
Image of Buddha's Belly Flower
What is Buddha's Belly Flower?
Buddha's Belly Flower, scientifically known as Zhe Wan Cu Tong Ju Tai, is a perennial herb. It has basal leaves, with leaf stalks measuring 1.2-4cm and covered in brownish hairs. The leaf blades are elliptic to narrowly elliptic, measuring 4-10cm in length and 2-2.5cm in width, with a blunt apex and a wide wedge-shaped base. The leaf margins are serrated, with the upper surface densely covered in short soft hairs and the lower surface covered in rust-colored hairs along the veins. The rest of the leaf surface has sparse short soft hairs.
The flower stalks are 2-4, measuring 10-16cm in height. The umbel inflorescence branches 1-2 times, with each inflorescence bearing 1-5 flowers. The inflorescence stalk is 11-17cm long and sparsely covered in rust-colored hairs. There are 2 bracts, which are narrowly inverted-ovate to linear-lanceolate and covered in hairs. The calyx is approximately 1cm long, 5-lobed to the base, and densely covered in rust-colored hairs on the outside.
The corolla is purple-red, approximately 4cm long, sparsely covered in short soft hairs on the outside, with purple spots on the inner surface. The lower part of the corolla is swollen. The upper lip is 2-lobed, with rounded lobes, and the lower lip is 3-lobed, with elongated lobes. There are 4 stamens, with paired anthers. The flower disc is ring-shaped. The ovary is slender and measures approximately 9mm in length, with a short style covered in fine hairs.
The capsule is inversely lanceolate, measuring 4.5-7cm in length, with a short pointed tip. The seeds are numerous, small, and smooth on the surface. The flowering period is from August to September, and the fruiting period is from October to November.
Medicinal Value and Application of Buddha's Belly Flower!
Buddha's Belly Flower is primarily used to dispel wind and relieve surface symptoms, as well as to promote blood circulation and resolve abscesses. It is commonly used for colds with headache, fatigue, soreness in muscles and bones, boils, and unidentified swellings.
The entire plant has a bitter and slightly sweet taste and a cooling nature. It has the properties of clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. It is used for snake bites.
Internally, it is decocted in water at a dosage of 10-15g. Externally, fresh plants are crushed and applied topically, or the juice is extracted and applied.
[Dai Medicine] Ma Hong Niang (Xidai): The root is used for yellow complexion and emaciation, fatigue and weakness, loss of appetite, urgency and pain during urination, and hematuria (as recorded in "Dian Yao Lu", "Dian Sheng Zhi", "Banna Dai Medicine", and "Dai Medicine"). Shou Du, Ma Hong Niang: The root has the same medicinal properties as mentioned above (as recorded in "Dai Yao Lu").
How to Identify Buddha's Belly Flower from Images!
