The fruit of the acid vine is the fruit of the plant acid vine in the Rubiaceae family. This plant mainly grows in grasslands, shrubs, or forests at an altitude of 100-1800m. The acid vine fruit tastes sour and sweet, and it has the effect of strengthening and nourishing blood when used medicinally. Below, I will introduce the acid vine fruit to everyone.
【Introduction of Acid Vine Fruit】
The acid vine fruit contains vitamin C and anthocyanins. If you take it in moderation, it will be beneficial to your body. In fact, not only the fruit of the acid vine, but also the leaves and roots can be used medicinally. The fruit has the effect of strengthening and nourishing blood, while the leaves can dispel stasis, relieve pain, and treat bruises and swelling.
The acid vine fruit mainly grows in shrubs or alongside mountain ditches. It ripens in April each year, similar to cherries. In the southern regions, many rural children think that the acid vine fruit is even tastier than cherries. It is sour and sweet, and more delicious.
The unripe acid vine fruit is green and very sour, so it is generally not edible. Once ripe, the acid vine fruit turns blood red and tastes sour with a hint of sweetness, making it very delicious.
【Identification of Acid Vine Fruit】
The acid vine fruit is spherical or elliptical, with a diameter of 3-8mm. The surface is greenish-brown or purplish-gray, often with wrinkles. The top has the remains of the pistil, and the bottom is often attached to a 2-5mm long stalk and small calyx.
The fruit peel is brittle and easy to peel off. The seeds are often covered with brown seed coats. The kernel is hard, with a yellow-white, horny cross-section. The outer side also shows a pattern of seed coats embedded in the endosperm. It has a slight aroma, a mild taste, and a spicy and numbing sensation when chewed for a long time.
Although unripe acid vine fruits cannot be eaten, they still have other uses. In the southern regions, rural children invented a toy called "bamboo cannon," which can be loaded with unripe acid vine fruits and produce a crisp sound when fired.
In the 1980s and 1990s, this toy was very popular in rural areas, and many children would bring some unripe acid vine fruits to school to use as ammunition for the bamboo cannon.
【Medicinal Applications of Acid Vine Fruit】
Worm-expelling powder: 100g of iron rod, 550g of acid vine fruit, 200g of hezi, 100g of mu xiang, 100g of zang chang pu, and 50g of she xiang. Except for she xiang, grind the other six medicinal ingredients into fine powder, sift, and mix with fine powder of she xiang to obtain the final product.
Efficacy: Expelling worms. Used for head worms, tooth worms, internal parasites, roundworms, skin parasites, etc. It has a special effect on intermittent fever and intestinal colic caused by parasites. Take it with hot water.
Treatment for insufficient stomach acid and bleeding gums: Fresh acid vine fruit, 2-3 qian. Decoct in water and take orally. (Information sourced from "Common Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual" by Guangzhou Military)
Treatment for loss of appetite: 9g of acid vine fruit, decoct in water and take orally. (Source: "Practical Illustrated Chinese Herbal Medicine Handbook")
