Introduction of Ting Li Zi:Pepperweed Seed,Tansy Mustard Seed or Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae.
✵The article gives records of the herb Pepperweed Seed, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source three plant species, ①.Lepidium apetalum Willd., ②.Descurainia sophia(L.) Webb ex Prantl., ③.Lepidium virginicum L., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of these three plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these three plant species, the features of the herb Pepperweed Seed, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae(Pepperweed Seed or Tansy Mustard Seed).
Pin Yin Name: Tínɡ Lì Zǐ.
English Name: Pepperweed Seed or Tansy Mustard Seed.
Latin Name: Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae.
Property and flavor: cold, pungent, bitter.
Brief introduction: The herb Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae is the dried ripe seed of Lepidium apetalum Willd. Or Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl., used (1).to purge the lung for relieving cough and dyspnea with excessive phlegm, and (2).to induce diuresis for treating edema. It is commonly known as Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae, Pepperweed Seed or Tansy Mustard Seed, Ting Li Zi.
Botanical source: The herb Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae (Pepperweed Seed or Tansy Mustard Seed) is the dried ripe seed of Lepidium apetalum Willd. Or Descurainia sophia(L.)Webb ex Prantl., they are plants of the Lepidium genus, the Brassicaceae family (Cruciferae, mustard family) of the Brassicales order. It is also known as Seed of Pepperweed, Seed of Peppergrass, Seed of Flixweed Tansymustard, Pepperweed Seed Tansymustard Seed or Tínɡ Lì Zǐ.
Herbal classic book defined the herb Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae (Pepperweed Seed or Tansy Mustard Seed) as the dried mature seed of:(1). Lepidium apetalum Willd., or (2). Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl., or (3). Lepidium virginicum L. These 3 commonly used species are introduced:
(1).Lepidium apetalum Willd.
Botanical description: Lepidium apetalum Willd is commonly known as Tínɡ Lì, or Du Xing Cai. An annual herb or biennial herb, the plant grows 5~30 cm tall. The stem is upright, or has many branches from the base, covered with white tiny capitate hairs. The basal leaf has a petiole, and the petiole is 1~2 cm long; the leaf blade is narrowly spatulate or oblanceolate, primary pinnately lobed or deeply parted, 3~5 cm long, 1~1.5 cm wide, the apex is mucronate, margin is sparsely incised-serrate, the base is narrowing; cauline leaves are lanceolate or oblong, leaves on middle part is 1.5~2 cm long, 2~5 mm wide, the base is slightly wide, sessile, appressed on the stem, the margin is sparsely toothed; uppermost leaf is linear, the apex is pointed, the margin is rarely toothed or subentire; both surfaces are glabrous or sparsely covered with capitate hairs.
Racemes are terminal and extend up to 5 cm during the fruiting period; flowers are small and loosely arranged; 4 sepals, subovate, the margin is white membranous, outside has curved white pilose; petals are absent or degenerated to filamentous-shape, shorter than sepals; 2 or 4 stamens, equal length; 4 nectaries, short; 1 pistil, the ovary is ovoid and oblate, style is absent, stigma is rounded and oblate.
Silicle is ovoid or elliptic, 2~3 mm long, flat, the apex is slightly concave, persistent and very short style, carpel top has a very narrow wing, false septum width is less than 1 mm. Seeds are elliptic-ovate, and the surface is smooth, red-brown or tawny (yellow-brown). Its flowering period is from May to June, and the fruiting period is from June to July.
Ecological environment: The plant is a common weed in the field, which is growing on slopes, beside ditches, roadsides, and near villages, in areas at altitudes of 400~2,000 meters above sea level. The plant is mainly distributed in the northern, northwest, eastern, southwest, and other areas of China.
Growth characteristics: The plant prefers a warm, moist, sunny environment, better to choose a slope field with fertile and loose soil, with good drainage for cultivation.
Characters of herbs: The seed of Lepidium sativum is commonly known as Semen Lepidii, or Běi Tínɡ Lì Zǐ (means north pepperweed seed), or Kǔ Tínɡ Lì (means bitter pepperweed seed). The seeds are oblate-oval, 1~1.5 mm long, and 0.5~1 mm wide. The surface is yellowish-brown or reddish-brown, slightly glossy, with many fine granular protrusions, and two vertical shallow grooves are visible, one of which is conspicuous, one end is blunt, the other end is taper-pointed and slightly concave, and the hilum is located in the concave part, but it is inconspicuous. The herb has a slight smell, tastes slightly bitter and pungent, strong viscosity.
Medicinal efficacy: Removing heat from lung and relieving asthma, activate water circulation and reduce the swelling, indicated for the treatment of sputum obstruction of lung, wheezing and coughing with much phlegm, chest distension pain, and dysuria (difficulty in micturition).
Administration of Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae (Tínɡ Lì Zǐ):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae (Tínɡ Lì Zǐ)
TCM Books:
①.Internally: 3~9 grams, decoct wrapped; ②.Internally:water decoction, 1.5~3 qian (about 4.5~9 grams), or prepare to pill,powder.Externally:wash with water decoction or prepare to finely ground herb powder and apply stick; ③.Internally: water decoction, 3~9 grams, prepare to finely ground herb powder and prepared to pill, powder.Externally:prpper amount, wash with water decoction or prepare to finely ground herb powder and apply stick.Better use raw herbs for activating water circulation and reduce swelling, better use fried herbs for treatment of phlegm retention and asthma, better use honey fried herb for lung deficiency phlegm retention and asthma cough.
(2).Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl.
Botanical description: Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl is also known as Sisym-brium sophia L. It is commonly known as Bō Niáng Hāo, or Méi Mao Hāo. An annual or biennial herb, the plant grows up to 20~80 cm tall. The whole plant is ash-gray (grayish-white). The stem is upright, and the upper part is branched, has vertical edge grooves, densely covered with dendroidal pubescence. The outline of the leaf is oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 3~7 cm long, 1~4 cm wide, bipinnatisect to tripinnatisect or deeply parted, final lobes are striped or striped oblong, 2~5 mm long, the apex is obtuse, entire, both surfaces are covered with dendroidal pubescence; leaf on the lower stem has petiole, and upward petioles are gradually shortening or subsessile.
Racemes are terminal, have many flowers; 4 sepals, striped oblong, the apex is obtuse, about 2 mm long, the margin is membranous, the undersurface has branched pubescence; petals are yellow, spatulate, subequal with sepals; 6 stamens, almost as long as petals, the base has claws; 1 pistil, the ovary is cylindrical, style is short, stigma is a squish capitate.
Silique is cylindric, 2.5~3 cm long, glabrous, slightly recurved, out of line with the carpopodium (fruit stalk), the middle vein of the carpel is distinct. Seeds are in 1 row per cell, small, many, oblong, slightly flat, pale reddish-brown, surface has fine reticulations, after wet it has viscose material. Its flowering and fruiting period is from April to July.
Ecological environment: The plant grows on hillsides, fields, and farmlands. The plant is mainly distributed in the northern, northwest, eastern, and southwest areas of China.
Characters of herbs: The seed of Descurainia sophia is commonly known as Semen Descurainiae, or Nán Tínɡ Lì Zǐ (means south pepperweed seed), or Tián Tínɡ Lì (means sweet pepperweed seed). The seeds are oblong and slightly flat, with a length of 0.8~1.2 mm, and a width of about 0.5 mm; the surface is yellowish-brown, one end is blunt, the other end is slightly concave or relatively truncated, the center is concave, the hilum of the seed is located in the concave part, and the seed surface has fine reticulated patterns and two longitudinal shallow grooves. The herb has a slight smell, and it tastes slight pungent, slightly sticky.
(3).Lepidium virginicum L.
Botanical description: Lepidium virginicum L is also known as Qín Yè Tínɡ Lì, or Dú Xíng Cài. An annual or biennial herb, the plant grows up to 20~50 cm tall. The stem is upright, simple, and the surface has columnar glandular hairs; the upper part is branched, sparsely pubescent, or nearly glabrous. Leaves are alternate; basal leaves are stipitate, the petioles are 1~1.5 cm long; leaf blades are oblanceolate, 1~5 cm long, pinnate or lyrated, lobes are different in size, oval (egg-shaped) or oblong, the base is narrowing, the margin is serrated, both surfaces have short pubescence; cauline leaves are shortly stipitate, leaf blades are oblanceolate or linear, 1.5~5 cm long, 2~10 mm wide, the apex is sharp-pointed, the base is narrowing.
Racemes are terminal, many flowers; 4 sepals (calyx lobe), green, oval or elliptic, about 1 mm long; 4 petals, white, obovate, equal to or slightly longer than sepals; 2 or 4 stamens, subequal, about 1.5~2 mm long; 1 pistil, the ovary is ovoid and flat, 2-loculed, style is inconspicuous, stigma is capitate.
Silicle is orbicular, 3 mm long, 1~2 mm wide, and flat, the apex is slightly concave, the margin has a narrow wing, the style is extremely short. 1 seed per cell, oval (egg-shaped), about 1 mm long, smooth, reddish-brown, the margin has white narrow wings. Its flowering period is from April to May, and the fruiting period is from June to July.
Ecological environment: The plant grows on roadsides, wastelands, and fields. The plant is native to the America continent, and the plant is mainly distributed in the Yangtze River area, the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, the Zhujiang River area and east big island of China.
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References:
1.Introduction of Ting Li Zi:Pepperweed Seed,Tansy Mustard Seed or Semen Lepidii seu Descurainiae.
✵The article gives records of the herb Pepperweed Seed, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source three plant species, ①.Lepidium apetalum Willd., ②.Descurainia sophia(L.) Webb ex Prantl., ③.Lepidium virginicum L., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of these three plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these three plant species, the features of the herb Pepperweed Seed, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Pin Yin Name: Tínɡ Lì Zǐ.
Botanical description: Lepidium apetalum Willd is commonly known as Tínɡ Lì, or Du Xing Cai. An annual herb or biennial herb, the plant grows 5~30 cm tall. The stem is upright, or has many branches from the base, covered with white tiny capitate hairs. The basal leaf has a petiole, and the petiole is 1~2 cm long; the leaf blade is narrowly spatulate or oblanceolate, primary pinnately lobed or deeply parted, 3~5 cm long, 1~1.5 cm wide, the apex is mucronate, margin is sparsely incised-serrate, the base is narrowing; cauline leaves are lanceolate or oblong, leaves on middle part is 1.5~2 cm long, 2~5 mm wide, the base is slightly wide, sessile, appressed on the stem, the margin is sparsely toothed; uppermost leaf is linear, the apex is pointed, the margin is rarely toothed or subentire; both surfaces are glabrous or sparsely covered with capitate hairs.
Characters of herbs: The seed of Lepidium sativum is commonly known as Semen Lepidii, or Běi Tínɡ Lì Zǐ (means north pepperweed seed), or Kǔ Tínɡ Lì (means bitter pepperweed seed). The seeds are oblate-oval, 1~1.5 mm long, and 0.5~1 mm wide. The surface is yellowish-brown or reddish-brown, slightly glossy, with many fine granular protrusions, and two vertical shallow grooves are visible, one of which is conspicuous, one end is blunt, the other end is taper-pointed and slightly concave, and the hilum is located in the concave part, but it is inconspicuous. The herb has a slight smell, tastes slightly bitter and pungent, strong viscosity.
Botanical description: Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl is also known as Sisym-brium sophia L. It is commonly known as Bō Niáng Hāo, or Méi Mao Hāo. An annual or biennial herb, the plant grows up to 20~80 cm tall. The whole plant is ash-gray (grayish-white). The stem is upright, and the upper part is branched, has vertical edge grooves, densely covered with dendroidal pubescence. The outline of the leaf is oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 3~7 cm long, 1~4 cm wide, bipinnatisect to tripinnatisect or deeply parted, final lobes are striped or striped oblong, 2~5 mm long, the apex is obtuse, entire, both surfaces are covered with dendroidal pubescence; leaf on the lower stem has petiole, and upward petioles are gradually shortening or subsessile.
Ecological environment: The plant grows on hillsides, fields, and farmlands. The plant is mainly distributed in the northern, northwest, eastern, and southwest areas of China.
Botanical description: Lepidium virginicum L is also known as Qín Yè Tínɡ Lì, or Dú Xíng Cài. An annual or biennial herb, the plant grows up to 20~50 cm tall. The stem is upright, simple, and the surface has columnar glandular hairs; the upper part is branched, sparsely pubescent, or nearly glabrous. Leaves are alternate; basal leaves are stipitate, the petioles are 1~1.5 cm long; leaf blades are oblanceolate, 1~5 cm long, pinnate or lyrated, lobes are different in size, oval (egg-shaped) or oblong, the base is narrowing, the margin is serrated, both surfaces have short pubescence; cauline leaves are shortly stipitate, leaf blades are oblanceolate or linear, 1.5~5 cm long, 2~10 mm wide, the apex is sharp-pointed, the base is narrowing.
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