✵The article documents the herb Light Wheat, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely a single plant species, Triticum aestivum L.—and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical characteristics, growth habits, ecological environment, macroscopic characteristics of the herb, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Fructus Tritici Levis (Light Wheat)
Pinyin Name: Fú Xiǎo Mài
English Name: Light Wheat; Blighted Wheat; Shriveled Wheat
Latin Name:Fructus Tritici Levis Properties and Flavor: Cool in nature; sweet and slightly salty in taste
Brief Introduction:Fructus Tritici Levis is the dried, lightweight (shrunken or underdeveloped) grains of Triticum aestivum L. It is used clinically as an antihidrotic for spontaneous sweating and night sweats. Commonly known as Light Wheat, Fú Xiǎo Mài, or Fructus Tritici Levis.
Botanical Source: Classical herbal works define Fructus Tritici Levis (Light Wheat) as the dried, lightweight grains of Triticum aestivum L. This species belongs to the genus Triticum L., family Poaceae (formerly Gramineae), order Poales. The following describes this commonly used species:[I]
(1) Triticum aestivum L
Botanical Description: The plant, Triticum aestivum L is commonly known as Xiǎo Mài. Annual or biennial herb, the plant grows up to 60~100 cm tall. Culms are upright, usually in 6–9 segments. Leaf-sheath is smooth, often shorter than the internode length; paraphyll (ligule) is membranous, short, and small; Leaf blades are flat, long lanceolate, 15~40 cm long, 8~14 mm wide, the apex is acuminate, base is rectangular-circular.
Spikes are upright, 3~10 cm long; Spicules (spikelets) are flat on both sides, about 12 mm long, arranged parallelly or nearly parallelly on spike stalk (ear axis), each spicule has 3~9 flowers, only flowers on the lower part are fruiting; Glume is short, the first glume is wider than the second glume, both have sharp ridges on the back surface, sometimes extending to an awn; lower palea (inferior palea) is membranous, slightly lobed into 3-dentate, central teeth are often extended to an awn, palea is the equal length as lower palea or slightly shorter, ridge has scaly piliferous narrow wings; 3 stamens; ovary is oval (egg-shaped).
Caryopsis (karyopsis) are oblong or subovate, about 6 mm long, and hazel (pale brown). It is flowering period is from April to May, the fruiting period is from May to June.
Ecological Environment: Triticum aestivum is cultivated throughout the countryside as one of China's main cereal crops. It is appropriate to choose a field with deep soil layers, and the topsoil is deep, which is good for water storage, fertilizer conservation, and root development. Soil structure refers to the proportion of solid (organic and inorganic), liquid, and air composition, which is closely related to soil moisture, air, temperature, and nutrients. It is a crop that needs long sunshine (8 to 12 hours of sunlight per day); if sunshine conditions are insufficient, it can't go through the growing stage, and it can't produce a farctate ear.
Wheat is a product of the domestication of its wild ancestors by Neolithic humans and has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years. In the vast areas of Central Asia, many remains have been excavated from prehistoric primitive social settlements, including wild and cultivated wheat heads and grains, charred wheat grains, heads, and impressions of wheat grains on hard mud. Wheat was widely cultivated in West Asia as early as 7,000~6,000 B.C., in Europe 6,000~5,000 B.C., in Middle Asia 5,000~4,000 B.C., Wheat cultivation in China gradually expanded from the middle reaches of the Yellow River to the south of the Yangtze River, and into Northeast Asia. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, European settlers spread wheat to North and South America. Wheat spread to Oceania in the 18th century.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried caryopsis is oblong, both ends are slightly pointed, about 2~6 mm long, or 5-7 mm long, and about 1.5~2.5 mm in diameter, or 3-3.5 mm in diameter. The surface is faint yellow (pale yellow) or yellowish-brown, has fine wrinkles, full, has a deep concave longitudinal groove in the center of the ventral surface, an inconspicuous embryo at the base of the dorsal surface, and yellow pilose at the top part, the front end has yellowish-white pilose, base is obliquely pointed. The texture of the herb is hard, a few are extremely flat, and the grain is soft. The fracture surface is white or light yellowish-brown, with rich mealiness. A few have glume and lemma. The herb has no odor, it tastes mild. The herb of a better grade has an even grain, is light, and floats to the water surface, with a glossy surface, and no impurities.
Medicinal Efficacy: Eliminate deficient heat, antiperspirant. It is indicated for Yin deficiency and fever, hectic fever due to yin deficiency and consumptive fever (bone steaming, fever of consumption), night sweat (perspire during sleep), spontaneous perspiration (spontaneous sweating), etc.
Administration of Fructus Tritici Levis (Fú Xiǎo Mài):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Fructus Tritici Levis (Fú Xiǎo Mài)
TCM Books:
(1) N/A.; (2) Internally:water decoction, 3~5 qian (about 9~15 grams); or stir-bake to brown and prepare to finely ground herb powder; (3) Internally:water decoction, 15~30 grams;or prepare to ground herb powder. For antiperspirant purpose, better stir-bake for appplication.
Contraindications, Precautions and Adverse Reactions:should avoid using the herb Fructus Tritici Levis in conditions dysphoria without perspiration or collapse with sweating.
✵The article documents the herb Light Wheat, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely a single plant species, Triticum aestivum L.—and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical characteristics, growth habits, ecological environment, macroscopic characteristics of the herb, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Fú Xiǎo Mài
Botanical Description: The plant, Triticum aestivum L is commonly known as Xiǎo Mài. Annual or biennial herb, the plant grows up to 60~100 cm tall. Culms are upright, usually in 6–9 segments. Leaf-sheath is smooth, often shorter than the internode length; paraphyll (ligule) is membranous, short, and small; Leaf blades are flat, long lanceolate, 15~40 cm long, 8~14 mm wide, the apex is acuminate, base is rectangular-circular.
Ecological Environment: Triticum aestivum is cultivated throughout the countryside as one of China's main cereal crops. It is appropriate to choose a field with deep soil layers, and the topsoil is deep, which is good for water storage, fertilizer conservation, and root development. Soil structure refers to the proportion of solid (organic and inorganic), liquid, and air composition, which is closely related to soil moisture, air, temperature, and nutrients. It is a crop that needs long sunshine (8 to 12 hours of sunlight per day); if sunshine conditions are insufficient, it can't go through the growing stage, and it can't produce a farctate ear.
Wheat is a product of the domestication of its wild ancestors by Neolithic humans and has been cultivated for more than 10,000 years. In the vast areas of Central Asia, many remains have been excavated from prehistoric primitive social settlements, including wild and cultivated wheat heads and grains, charred wheat grains, heads, and impressions of wheat grains on hard mud. Wheat was widely cultivated in West Asia as early as 7,000~6,000 B.C., in Europe 6,000~5,000 B.C., in Middle Asia 5,000~4,000 B.C., Wheat cultivation in China gradually expanded from the middle reaches of the Yellow River to the south of the Yangtze River, and into Northeast Asia. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, European settlers spread wheat to North and South America. Wheat spread to Oceania in the 18th century.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried caryopsis is oblong, both ends are slightly pointed, about 2~6 mm long, or 5-7 mm long, and about 1.5~2.5 mm in diameter, or 3-3.5 mm in diameter. The surface is faint yellow (pale yellow) or yellowish-brown, has fine wrinkles, full, has a deep concave longitudinal groove in the center of the ventral surface, an inconspicuous embryo at the base of the dorsal surface, and yellow pilose at the top part, the front end has yellowish-white pilose, base is obliquely pointed. The texture of the herb is hard, a few are extremely flat, and the grain is soft. The fracture surface is white or light yellowish-brown, with rich mealiness. A few have glume and lemma. The herb has no odor, it tastes mild. The herb of a better grade has an even grain, is light, and floats to the water surface, with a glossy surface, and no impurities.
URL QR code:
