✵This article documents Lophatherum Herb, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, property and flavor, botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Lophatherum gracile Brongn. and (2) Lophatherum sinense Rendle—along with detailed descriptions of the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species; as well as the macroscopic characteristics of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Herba Lophatheri (Lophatherum Herb)
Pinyin Name: Dàn Zhú Yè
English Name: Lophatherum Herb
Latin Name:Herba Lophatheri Property and Flavor: Cold, sweet, tasteless
Brief Introduction:Herba Lophatheri is the dried stem and leaf of Lophatherum gracile Brongn., used to relieve restlessness and thirst in febrile diseases and to treat dysuria with painful urination. It is also commonly referred to as bamboo leaf. The herb is widely known as Common Lophatherum Herb, Common Lophatherum, or Dàn Zhú Yè.
Botanical Source:Herba Lophatheri (Lophatherum Herb) is the dried stem and leaf of Lophatherum gracile Brongn., a plant belonging to the genus Lophatherum in the family Poaceae (Gramineae, grass family), order Poales.
Classical herbal works define Herba Lophatheri (Lophatherum Herb) as the dried stem and leaf of either (1) Lophatherum gracile Brongn. or (2) Lophatherum sinense Rendle. These two commonly used species are described below:
(1) Lophatherum gracile Brongn.
Botanical Description:Lophatherum gracile Brongn. is commonly known as Common Lophatherum or Dàn Zhú Yè. It is a perennial herb that grows up to 40–100 cm tall. The rhizome is thick and short, firm and hard. Fibrous roots are sparse and often enlarged into fusiform tuberous roots near the upper or middle portion. The culm is slender and fragile, partially lignified. Leaves are alternate, broadly lanceolate (5–20 cm long × 1.5–3.0 cm wide), with an acuminate or mucronate (shortly pointed) apex, entire margins, and a base that is orbicular (subrotund) or cuneate—gradually narrowing into a petiole or sessile. Venation is parallel, with conspicuous transverse veinlets forming a rectangular reticulate pattern; both surfaces are glabrous or sparsely bristly. The leaf sheath margin is glabrous or ciliate; the paraphyll is short, small, rigid, 0.5–1 mm long, and bears marginal setae.
Panicles are terminal, 10–30 cm long, with few branches, sparse, and either oblique or spreading. Spikelets are linear-lanceolate (7–12 mm long, including a short awn; 1.5–2.5 mm wide), grow on thick stalks ~1 mm long. The glume is oblong, 5-veined, with an obtuse apex and membranous margins; the first glume is shorter than the second. The lower palea is longer than the glume, lanceolate (6–7 mm long × ~3 mm wide), shortly pointed, 5–7-veined; the upper palea is shorter than the lower palea, membranous and translucent.
The caryopsis is fusiform (spindle-shaped) and dark brown. Flowering occurs from June to September; fruiting, from August to October.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows wild in forests on slopes and in damp habitats.
Growth Characteristics:Lophatherum gracile prefers a shady, cool climate. Suitable cultivation sites include hillside forests and moist areas. Humus-rich sandy loam soil is recommended for cultivation.
Characteristics of the Herb: The stem is cylindrical, 25–30 cm long and 1.5–2 mm in diameter; the surface is light yellowish-green, with distinct nodes encircled by leaf sheaths; the cross-section is hollow. Leaves are wrinkled and curled; leaf blades are lanceolate (5–20 cm long × 1–3.5 cm wide); the upper surface is pale green (pea-green) or yellow-green, with prominent parallel veins and transverse veinlets forming a rectangular grid—especially conspicuous on the lower surface. The leaf sheath is ~5 cm long, dehiscent, longitudinally striped externally, and bears white villi along its margin. The herb is lightweight, pliable yet tough in texture, with a faint odor and a mild taste.
Medicinal efficacy: Clears heat, relieves restlessness, promotes diuresis. Indicated for fever with excessive thirst, irritability with a stifling sensation, dysuria with burning pain, oral ulcers, gingival swelling and pain, infantile night crying due to fright, turbid stranguria, etc.
Administration of Herba Lophatheri (Dàn Zhú Yè):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Herba Lophatheri (Dàn Zhú Yè)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 6–9 grams; (2) Internally: as a water decoction, 3–5 qián (approximately 9–15 grams); (3) Internally: as a water decoction, 9–15 grams.
Precautions and Adverse Reactions: Herba Lophatheri is contraindicated during pregnancy. It should be used with caution in cases without excess heat (excessive fire), or in patterns of physical deficiency with cold.
(2) Lophatherum sinense Rendle.
Botanical Description:Lophatherum sinense Rendle is commonly known as Chinese Lophatherum or Zhōng Huá Dàn Zhú Yè. Its morphology closely resembles that of Lophatherum gracile Brongn., differing primarily in having a broader leaf blade (up to ~4 cm wide). Panicle branches are shorter (3–8 cm long); spikelets are broadly lanceolate (7–9 mm long—not cm—× 2.5–3 mm wide); the glume is broad-ovate, 5–7-veined; the first lower palea measures ~6 mm long × ~5 mm wide, with seven veins and a short awn (less than 1 mm long). Flowering occurs from August to September; fruiting from September to October.
Ecological Environment:Lophatherum sinense Rendle grows on hillsides and along stream banks.
✵This article documents Lophatherum Herb, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, property and flavor, botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Lophatherum gracile Brongn. and (2) Lophatherum sinense Rendle—along with detailed descriptions of the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species; as well as the macroscopic characteristics of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Dàn Zhú Yè
Botanical Description: Lophatherum gracile Brongn. is commonly known as Common Lophatherum or Dàn Zhú Yè. It is a perennial herb that grows up to 40–100 cm tall. The rhizome is thick and short, firm and hard. Fibrous roots are sparse and often enlarged into fusiform tuberous roots near the upper or middle portion. The culm is slender and fragile, partially lignified. Leaves are alternate, broadly lanceolate (5–20 cm long × 1.5–3.0 cm wide), with an acuminate or mucronate (shortly pointed) apex, entire margins, and a base that is orbicular (subrotund) or cuneate—gradually narrowing into a petiole or sessile. Venation is parallel, with conspicuous transverse veinlets forming a rectangular reticulate pattern; both surfaces are glabrous or sparsely bristly. The leaf sheath margin is glabrous or ciliate; the paraphyll is short, small, rigid, 0.5–1 mm long, and bears marginal setae.
Panicles are terminal, 10–30 cm long, with few branches, sparse, and either oblique or spreading. Spikelets are linear-lanceolate (7–12 mm long, including a short awn; 1.5–2.5 mm wide), grow on thick stalks ~1 mm long. The glume is oblong, 5-veined, with an obtuse apex and membranous margins; the first glume is shorter than the second. The lower palea is longer than the glume, lanceolate (6–7 mm long × ~3 mm wide), shortly pointed, 5–7-veined; the upper palea is shorter than the lower palea, membranous and translucent.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows wild in forests on slopes and in damp habitats.
Characteristics of the Herb: The stem is cylindrical, 25–30 cm long and 1.5–2 mm in diameter; the surface is light yellowish-green, with distinct nodes encircled by leaf sheaths; the cross-section is hollow. Leaves are wrinkled and curled; leaf blades are lanceolate (5–20 cm long × 1–3.5 cm wide); the upper surface is pale green (pea-green) or yellow-green, with prominent parallel veins and transverse veinlets forming a rectangular grid—especially conspicuous on the lower surface. The leaf sheath is ~5 cm long, dehiscent, longitudinally striped externally, and bears white villi along its margin. The herb is lightweight, pliable yet tough in texture, with a faint odor and a mild taste.
Botanical Description: Lophatherum sinense Rendle is commonly known as Chinese Lophatherum or Zhōng Huá Dàn Zhú Yè. Its morphology closely resembles that of Lophatherum gracile Brongn., differing primarily in having a broader leaf blade (up to ~4 cm wide). Panicle branches are shorter (3–8 cm long); spikelets are broadly lanceolate (7–9 mm long—not cm—× 2.5–3 mm wide); the glume is broad-ovate, 5–7-veined; the first lower palea measures ~6 mm long × ~5 mm wide, with seven veins and a short awn (less than 1 mm long). Flowering occurs from August to September; fruiting from September to October.
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