Baogai Grass, also known as Lamium amplexicaule, belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It is also called "bone-setting grass" and "lantern grass". It is distributed in Gansu, Shaanxi, Qinghai, and other regions.
Baogai Grass
Image of Baogai Grass
Latin Name: Lamium amplexicauleL.
Family: Lamiaceae
Habitat: It grows on roadsides, in grasslands, and gardens.
Distribution: It is found in Northeast, Northwest, East China, Central China, and Southwest China.
Image of Baogai Grass
Growth habit: It prefers a moist and warm climate.
Propagation: It is propagated by seeds.
Landscape use: It is used for flower borders and underplanting in forests.
Image of Baogai Grass
Medicinal Properties
The stem is square-shaped, measuring 5-45cm in length, with a slightly purple surface and sparse hairy fuzz.
The leaves are wrinkled or broken, kidney-shaped or round when flattened, with a heart-shaped or round base, and rounded teeth or small lobes on the edges. Both sides are hairy.
The stem leaves are sessile, while the root leaves have petioles. The flowers are arranged in umbels.
The small nutlets are oblong with 3 ridges, truncate at the apex, dark brown-black in color, and have white warts on the surface. They are brittle in texture, slightly bitter in taste.
Image of Baogai Grass
Functions and Indications
It clears heat, promotes diuresis, invigorates blood, dispels wind, reduces swelling, and detoxifies.
It is used for jaundice hepatitis, lymph node tuberculosis, hypertension, facial nerve paralysis, and hemiplegia.
Externally, it is used to treat bruises, fractures, and weeping sores.
