?Houttuynia cordata | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
Houttuynia cordata Thunb. |
Cameleon Plant (Houttuynia cordata)
Houttuynia cordata (Chinese: 魚腥草; pinyin: yúxīng cǎo; literally "fishy-smell herb"), Chinese lizard tail / Dokudami / Edible houttuynia / Fish mint / Fishplant / Fishwort / Heartleaf / Heartleaf houttuynia / Himalayan spinach/ Lizard's tail / Tsi / Vietnamese fish plant / White chaplu / Wildhouttuynia / Yu Xing Cao,the sole species in the genus Houttuynia, is a flowering plant native to Japan, southern China and Southeast Asia, where it inhabits moist, shady places.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to between 20 and 80 cm tall. The proximal part of the stem is trailing and produces adventitious roots, while the distal part of the stem grows vertically. The leaves are alternate, broad heart-shaped, 4-9 cm long and 3-8 cm broad. The flowers are greenish-yellow, borne on a terminal spike 2-3 cm long with 4-6 large white basal bracts.
It is grown as a leaf vegetable, particularly in Vietnam, where it is called giấp cá or diếp cáand is used as a fresh herbal garnish. The leaf has an unusual tastethat is often described as fishy, so it is not enjoyed as universallyas basil, mint, or other more commonly used herbs.
It is also used as an herbal medicine. The beverage dokudami cha (Japanese: ドクダミ茶; literally "Houttuynia cordata tea") is an infusion made from Houttuynia cordata leaves, Oolong tea leaves, and Job's Tears.[1] In the southwestern Chinese provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, adventitious roots are used as a root vegetable. English names include heartleaf and lizardtail.
[類 別] 全草類
[藥 名] 魚腥草
[釋 名] 魚腥草原名蕺菜, 揉碎葉子有魚腥味,但是幹燥之後氣味芳香,鮮品可以煮來當菜吃。
[拉丁名稱] Houttuynia cordata Thuhb.
[別 名] 狗貼耳。
[故 事]唐本草說江左人好生食,我聞過揉碎的魚腥草葉子,有刺激的魚腥味,那真是有逐臭之夫喔。會稽賦說凶年民斷其根食之,會稽誌也說越王曾采蕺於蕺山。可能不大好吃,平常是不當蔬菜上桌的,但是什麽收成都沒有的時候,就隻好將就吃囉。越王不止臥薪嚐膽,還親自采集沒有人要吃的菜來吃,宣示作用吧。
[來 源] 本品為三白草科植物蕺菜的幹燥全草。
[產 地] 生於溝邊、溪旁或林下濕潤地。廣布於我國黃河流域以南各省區。亞洲東部和東南部均產。
[特 性]蕺菜為多年生草本,高30~50厘米,全株有腥臭味;莖上部直立,常呈紫紅色,下部匍匐,節上輪生小根。葉互生,薄紙質,有腺點,背麵尤甚,卵形或闊卵形,長4~10厘米,寬2.5~6厘米,基部心形,全緣,背麵常紫紅色;掌狀葉脈5~7條;葉柄長1~3.5厘米,無毛;托葉膜質長1~2.5厘米,下部與葉柄合生成鞘。花小,夏季開,無花被,排成與葉對生、長約2厘米的穗狀花序;總苞片4片,生於總花梗之頂,白色,花瓣狀,長1~2厘米;雄蕊3枚,花絲長,下部與子房合生;雌蕊由3個合生心皮所組成。蒴果近球形,直徑2~3毫米,頂端開裂。
[采收加工] 夏季莖葉茂盛、花穗多時采收。拔取全草,除去雜質,曬幹。
[藥材性狀]本品全長15~40餘厘米。莖扁圓柱形,稍扭曲,直徑約0.2~0.3厘米,紅棕色,有直棱數條,節明顯,下部節上有殘存須根;質脆,易折斷,斷麵黃棕色,葉互生,葉片常皺卷。展開後心形,長3~7厘米或過之,寬3~6厘米或過之,全緣,上麵暗黃綠色至暗紅棕色,密生腺點,下麵灰綠色或灰棕色,質脆易碎;托葉與葉柄基部合生成鞘狀。穗狀花序頂生,黃棕色。搓碎有魚腥氣,味微澀。以葉多、色灰綠、有花穗、魚腥氣濃者為佳。
[性味功用] 辛,微寒。歸肺經。清熱,解毒,利濕,消腫。用於肺膿腫,痰熱咳嗽,腎炎水腫,白帶,尿路感染,癰癤。常用量15~25克,不宜久煎,外用適量,搗攔敷或煎湯熏洗患處。
[藥理作用]
1.抗病原微生物作用,抑製金黃色葡萄球菌、流感杆菌、肺炎雙球菌。
2.利尿作用,使毛細血管擴張,增加腎血流量及尿液分泌,所以也用於尿路感染的頻尿澀痛。
3.增強免疫係統作用,提高慢性氣管炎患者白血球的吞噬作用。
4.抗腫瘤作用,提高癌細胞中的CAMP而抑製艾氏腹水癌。
[一般用量與用法]三錢至一兩,煎服。因本品含有揮發油,故不宜久煎。外用適量。
[臨床應用]
1.用於肺癰,痰熱壅滯,咳吐膿血,以及百日咳等病症。魚腥草清熱解毒的作用頗佳。
2.用於各種實熱性的癰毒腫痛等症。可單味煎湯內服,也可搗爛外敷。所以有化妝品采用為主要成份,算是有根有據,理應有效。
[附 注] 本品含魚腥草素,對流感杆菌、肺炎球菌、金黃色葡萄球菌等均有較強的抑製作用。又果含槲皮鼠李甙,有較強的利尿作用。