Species: Polygonum chinense L.
English Name: Chinese Knotweed
Chinese Name: 火炭母
Family: Polygonaceae
Description:
Perennial trailing herbs. Its stems are glabrous with young purple-red branches. Leaves are alternate, ovate-eliptic, base truncate or subcordate, with purple blotches on upper surface. Flowers are small, white or pale-red.
It can be found growing on wastelands, roadsides and other wet places near villages.
Preparation: Whole herb is used. It can be collected all year round, used fresh or sun-dried.
Properties: Slightly sour and astringent in taste, cool in nature.
Actions and Indications: Clears heat, removes toxic substances, expels damp, relieves dyspepsia, cools blood-heat, relieves pruritus, improves vision. Indicated for dysentery, enteritis, diphtheria, pertussis, jaundice of damp-heat type, corneal opacity, mastitis, furuncule, impetigo, poisonous snake-bite.
©2003 S.K. Chan et. al.
Photos used under a Creative Commons license
References:
– Chan Shek-Kiu and Wu Qi-Gen. Chinese Medicinal Herbs of Macao (Volume 1), Macao, University of Macau, 2003.