Winged fruit chrysanthemum, also known as bitter lettuce, wild lettuce, mountain horse grass, is a kind of Asteraceae plant with a unique appearance, like a gossip array. Its stems, branches, and leaves are all **, and the leaves on the stem are strip-oblong or inverted-lanceolate-oval, very similar to the leaves of lettuce. The flowering period is around April to November, and the flower color is light yellow, similar to that of sunflowers. Its fruit is oval-shaped, black, and has broad wings on the edge, hence the name Winged Fruit Chrysanthemum. It is widely distributed in our country, and it can be found in almost every province, most commonly on the edge of hillsides and in the wilderness, and often appears next to farmland or on the side of roads. Although it is a common plant in rural areas, its value is far from ordinary.
Winged fruit chrysanthemum is a plant of the Asteraceae family, and its appearance is unique, like a bagua array. Its stems, branches, and leaves are smooth and hairless. The leaves on the stem are linear and have the shape of a strip-oblong or inverted-lanceolate oval. This is very similar to the leaves of lettuce, which is why winged fruit chrysanthemum is also known as a copycat version of lettuce. The flowering period of winged fruit chrysanthemum is generally between April and November, and the flower color is pale yellow, and the shape resembles a sunflower, giving it a bright and cheerful feeling. Its fruit is oval, black, with wide wings, and a unique shape, hence the name Winged Fruit Chrysanthemum. In our country, the distribution of winged fruit is very widespread, and its traces can be found in almost every province. It grows mostly on hillside forest edges and in wilderness, and is often found next to farmland and roadsides, and is one of the common plants in rural areas.
Although it is very common in rural areas, people tend to treat it only as a weed. However, in fact, Winged Fruit has a high edible value. First of all, the young stems and leaves of winged fruit chrysanthemum are edible, and they can be fried like lettuce, and the taste is slightly bitter. In addition, the young stems and leaves can also be used to steam steamed buns, dumplings, etc., enriching the dietary variety. Of course, when picking winged fruit chrysanthemum, you should stay away from the area where the pesticide is sprayed to avoid ingesting harmful substances. After harvesting, boiling water should be passed through the water several times to ensure the safety of eating. Not only that, the nutritional value of winged fruit is also very high, rich in calcium, even higher than the calcium content of many vegetables, which can be described as a high-quality high-calcium plant. Nowadays, some places in the northern region have cultivated winged fruit chrysanthemum artificially and eaten it as a wild vegetable. However, it should be noted that the similarity between winged chrysanthemum and poison lettuce is very high, and caution must be taken when picking to avoid accidents. For those who don't know, you can refer to some Chinese herbal plant books in order to identify the plant correctly.
It is very common in rural areas, but many people do not find its edible value. In fact, winged fruit can be eaten as an ingredient and has a high nutritional value. First of all, the young stems and leaves of winged fruit can be eaten like lettuce, which can be stir-fried or used to make traditional dishes such as steamed buns and dumplings. Its taste is similar to that of bitter horsetail, with a slightly bitter taste and a refreshing taste. Of course, when picking winged chrysanthemum, you should pay attention to choosing a place away from pesticide spraying to ensure the safety of the ingredients. At the same time, it is necessary to pass the water several times with boiling water after returning home to remove possible residual pesticides. At the same time, winged fruit is also rich in nutrients, especially the content of calcium, even more than many common vegetables. Therefore, eating wingberry as a high-quality high-calcium plant helps to replenish calcium. In some parts of the north, people have begun to grow winged fruit as a high-quality wild vegetable. However, everyone must be wary of confusion with poison lettuce when picking to avoid unnecessary accidents. For those who don't know, you can refer to some Chinese herbal plant books in order to correctly identify the plants and ensure the safety of picking.
Winged fruit has not only edible value, but also medicinal value. Its traditional Chinese medicine is called mountain lettuce, which is a plant that is used both medicine and food. Winged fruit chrysanthemum has medicinal effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling blood and dampness, invigorating blood and relieving pain. In rural areas, if a fire occurs, people who understand its value will often dig up lettuce to soak in water or stir-fry to eat, which has the effect of preventing fire.
Winged fruit not only has edible value, but also has certain medicinal value. Its traditional Chinese medicine is called mountain lettuce, which is widely used in medicinal diets and home prescriptions among the people. Winged fruit chrysanthemum is believed to have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling blood and relieving dampness, invigorating blood and relieving pain. In rural areas, many people often pick winged fruit chrysanthemum for the prevention and prevention of symptoms such as fire and mouth ulcers. For some people who understand the value of winged fruit, they will collect the whole herb of winged fruit chrysanthemum to soak in water or process it into dishes to eat, which has a good medicinal diet health effect. However, special care should be taken when picking winged chrysanthemums to avoid accidentally ingesting other poisonous plants, or accidentally ingesting plants similar to winged chrysanthemums such as poisonous lettuce. For those who don't know, you can ask the older generation of farmers, herbalist experts, etc., or refer to relevant Chinese herbal medicine books to ensure the safety of picking and use. The medicinal part of winged fruit chrysanthemum is mainly its tender stems and leaves, which can be applied by stir-frying, boiling soup, soaking in water, etc.
In addition to edible and medicinal uses, winged fruit has excellent feed value. The young stems and leaves of Winged Fruit are not only high-quality wild vegetables, but the plants themselves can also be used as high-quality feed for livestock. Due to the high light requirements during the growth period, it is suitable for planting in the season of sufficient light. Wing fruit chrysanthemum for feed can increase the appetite and stimulation of the digestive tract of livestock, and improve the utilization rate and production performance of feed. At the same time, winged fruit is also rich in protein, minerals and vitamins, which can provide good nutritional supplements, increase the physical strength and resistance of livestock, and promote growth and development.
In addition to its edible and medicinal value, it also has a high feed value. The young stems and leaves of winged fruit can be eaten not only as food, but also as high-quality feed for livestock. The growth period of winged fruit chrysanthemum has high light requirements, which is suitable for planting in the sunny season. Giving winged fruit as feed** to livestock can increase their appetite, stimulate the digestive system, and improve feed utilization and production performance. At the same time, winged fruit is rich in nutrients such as protein, minerals and vitamins, which can provide sufficient nutritional supplements for livestock, promote the growth and development of livestock, and increase physical strength and resistance. The feed value of Winged Fruit is also reflected in its relatively low cost, and for livestock farming in some rural areas, growing Wing Fruit as feed is an economical option. There can be a variety of ways to use winged chrysanthemum as feed, which can be dried and fed directly, or processed into powder or feed preparation for livestock to eat. In the process of use, it is necessary to pay attention to appropriate control to avoid indigestion or other uncomfortable symptoms of livestock caused by excessive consumption.