In Hunan, the temperature rises rapidly after winter, and the temperature soars above 25 degrees, and it seems that it is summer again. In fact, the four seasons are not shared in many areas of Hunan, and some local netizens even laugh at themselves, there is only winter and summer in Hunan, but not spring and autumn. So how do we cool off in the hot summer? Today, the author will introduce to you a herb that can be used to clear away heat and reduce heat. It is also one of the main raw materials of the red can herbal tea we often drink, and this plant is Prunella vulgaris.
Prunella vulgaris, as you can associate with the name, is in fact so. Summer withering, summer withering, as the name suggests, is that it begins to wither in summer, and its name is precisely because of this characteristic. In addition, the inflorescence of Prunella vulgaris is very similar to a big mallet, so Prunella vulgaris is also called mallet grass, hammer grass, big head flower, gong hammer grass, and stick head pillar in folk. There are also places called it June dry, wheat ear prunella, wheat prunella, iron thread prunella, iron grass, etc., it is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family, Prunella vulgaris. It is cousin with summer solstice grass and motherwort, and belongs to the Lamiaceae family, and their biggest feature is the inflorescence, layer by layer, which is very recognizable.
Prunella vulgaris has a square stem, a creeping base, and dense fine hairs on the whole plant. The leaves are opposite, elliptic-lanceolate, nearly entire. It blooms from May to June, and the inflorescence is apical, purple and spike-shaped. The fruiting period is from June to July, and it bears fine seeds, brown or brown, oblong in shape, with 3 ridges.
There is a record in the "Tang Ben Note": "This grass is born in Pingze, the leaves are like swirling, the first spring is born, the spike emerges in April, its flowers are purple and white, like salvia flowers, it will wither in May, and there are everywhere", which describes the herbaceous Prunella vulgaris we are talking about today. At present, this plant is distributed in most provinces of China, mainly in the south of the Qinling Mountains. In the author's hometown of Hunan, you can see its blooming all over the mountains and fields in the fields every month, which is very beautiful. Prunella vulgaris is common in rural areas, but its value is immense.
When I was a child, there were special people in the countryside to harvest the dried inflorescences of this plant, and when I was a child, I relied on it to earn pocket money. I vaguely remember that the dried Prunella inflorescence is only a few cents a catty, but my friends are happy to do it, because there are too many of this herb in the author's hometown Hunan. Unfortunately, although there are still prunella grass now, it is not very common. Prunella vulgaris has two major functions, and its value is very high, so farmers should understand. If you come across its dried inflorescences in the wild in the summer, you might as well take it home and plant the seeds in front of the house and behind the house, so that you can find them when you need them.
Clause.
1. The dried inflorescences of Prunella vulgaris can be used to make tea.
Prunella vulgaris is a treasure, and its flowers can be used to make tea, which is a very good herbal tea. When I was a child, when I was busy with spring farming, my grandparents would use a large teapot to boil a pot of prunella tea every time I went out, and drink it as tea after it was cooled to clear away heat and reduce heat, disperse knots and reduce swelling.
The production method of Prunella vulgaris tea is very simple, whenever Prunella vulgaris blooms to the point of dying, cut its purple inflorescence with scissors, and can be used directly after drying. You don't need other means of processing, you can make tea and drink it, which is simple, convenient and fast. In addition to making tea and drinking, Prunella vulgaris can also be used to boil eggs, often eaten a lot, this plant is also a standing herb in many rural families.
Clause.
Second, the inflorescence of Prunella vulgaris can be used in medicine, and the medicinal value is extremely high.
Prunella vulgaris is a treasure, it can not only be used to make tea and drink, it can also be used in medicine, and has high medicinal value. In fact, Prunella vulgaris has a very long history of medicine, and it can even be traced back to the Qin and Han dynasties. This plant is recorded in the "Shennong's Materia Medica" and listed as a lower grade, which shows its high medicinal value. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Prunella vulgaris has a bitter, pungent and cold taste, and is used as medicine to clear the liver and relieve fire, brighten the eyes, disperse knots and reduce swelling.
It is recorded in the "Shennong's Materia Medica": "Prunella vulgaris is mainly cold and hot, scrofula, rat fistula, head sores, broken disease, scattered gall and gas, swollen and damp feet." In addition, it is also recorded in the "Sexual Preparation of Raw Herbs": "Remove phlegm and pus, cure scrofula, clear the upper and lower parts, remove the eye mask, and relieve pain".
It can be seen that its value is high, do farmers understand? In fact, Prunella vulgaris is also very common in our lives, and some oral liquids, granules, capsules and other prescriptions have the presence of Prunella vulgaris as an herb.
Okay, that's all for today's question. Do you know anything about Prunella vulgaris? Have you ever seen Prunella vulgaris? Is there such a plant in your hometown? Feel free to leave a comment in the comments below and share your insights.