Centipede grass, also known as hundred-foot grass, refers to the whole plant or rhizome of the fern family plant Centipede Grass. It can be harvested all year round, washed and used fresh or dried. Let me introduce you to the habitat and original form of centipede grass!
Perennial herb with a height of 1.3-2m. Short rhizomes are covered with lanceolate, yellow-brown scales, and have a reticulate central cylinder. Leaves are clustered, petioles are 10-30cm long, erect, and turn brown when dry. Petioles, leaf axes, and rachises are all covered with linear scales. The leaves are oblong to lanceolate, 10-100cm long, 5-30cm wide, and pinnately compound. The leaflets are sessile, linear, 4-20cm long, 0.5-1cm wide, with the middle leaflet being the longest. The apex is gradually pointed with sharp serrations along the edge. The base is truncate or cordate, sometimes slightly auriculate. The lower leaflets gradually shorten. The leaves are subleathery, hairless on both sides, with a single vein or a bifurcation. Sporangia are linear, and sporangial covers are narrow and membranous, yellow-brown in color.
Habitat and ecological environment: It grows on open, calcareous soil or limestone rocks at elevations of 2000-3100m.
Distribution: It is distributed in central and southern China, southwest China, as well as Shaanxi, Gansu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Taiwan.
Chemical composition: The whole plant contains lignans, including cis-dihydro-dehydrodiconiferyl-9-O-β-D-glucoside and lariciresinol-9-O-β-D-glucoside. It also contains diacylglyceryltrimethylhomoserine.
Efficiency of centipede grass
Taste: Mild, bitter, cool
Functions of centipede grass
Dispels wind and eliminates dampness, relaxes tendons and activates collaterals, detoxifies and kills insects. It is used for rheumatic joint pain, back pain, limb numbness, difficulty in flexion and extension, hemiplegia, bruises and strains, colds, dysentery, breast abscess, sores and ulcers, scabies, pinworm disease, and snake bites.
