Black Spot Herb, a perennial herb, grows in mountainous areas, forest edges, and semi-shaded areas. It clears heart fire and dispels wind.
[Other Names] Lirizhugen (Sichuan Materia Medica), Cucumber Vegetable, Sparse Hair Oil Spot Herb, Big Cucumber Fragrance, Gua Mi Cai (Shaanxi Chinese Herbal Medicine).
[Source] Black Spot Herb is the whole herb of the lily family plant Soft Hair Oil Spot Herb.
[Plant Morphology] Soft Hair Oil Spot Herb
A perennial herb with short rhizomes; stems erect, cylindrical, green, covered with linear short hairs.
Leaves alternate, broadly elliptic, 5-11 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, gradually pointed at the apex, margin covered with brown short hairs, entire or shallowly wavy-dentate, base of the leaf enlarged and embracing the stem, with 4-5 pairs of pinnate veins or basal veins, upper surface olive green, lower surface green, both without hairs.
Umbel inflorescence terminal; small flowers yellowish white, pedicel strong and stout, 2.5-4 cm long; bracts small, ovate heart-shaped or linear.
Calyx campanulate, 6-lobed, lobes lanceolate, with yellowish white spots, some with purple spots, sparsely glandular on the outside, with nectaries at the base, lobes reflexed from the upper part of the nectaries; stamens 6, filaments short, 3-angled and spreading, anthers adhering to the back.
Stigma single, style short, divided into 3 branches, reflexed at the apex, each branch bifurcating into 2, ovary 3-loculed. Capsule triangular, 3-4 cm long. Numerous seeds. Flowering period is from July to August.
[Habitat Distribution] Black Spot Herb grows in mountainous areas, forest edges, and semi-shaded areas. It is distributed in Hebei, Zhejiang, Hunan, Sichuan and other places.
[Properties and Taste] Sichuan Materia Medica: "Bitter taste, neutral nature, non-toxic."
[Functions and Indications] Sichuan Materia Medica: "Treats generalized swelling, heat and pain, heat entering the pericardium, and wind rash itching."
[Usage and Dosage] Internally: decocted, 15-24 grams; or ground with alcohol to extract the juice.
