✵This article documents the herb Pyrola Herb, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical sources as defined in classical herbal texts—two officially recognized species: (1) Pyrola calliantha H. Andres and (2) Pyrola decorata H. Andres—as well as two additional commonly used species: (3) Pyrola japonica Klenze ex Alef. and (4) Pyrola incarnata Fisch. ex DC. It provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these four species; to the macroscopic characteristics of the herb Pyrola Herb; and to its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Herba Pyrolae (Pyrola Herb)
Pinyin Name: Lù Xián Cǎo
English Name: Pyrola Herb
Latin Name: Herba Pyrolae
Properties and Flavor: Warm; sweet and bitter
Brief Introduction:Herba Pyrolae is the dried whole plant of Pyrola calliantha H. Andres or Pyrola decorata H. Andres. It is used to nourish kidney yin, strengthen tendons and bones, dispel wind-dampness, and arrest bleeding—indicated for lumbago, rheumatism, menorrhagia, hemoptysis, and epistaxis. It is commonly known as Herba Pyrolae, Pyrola Herb, or Lù Xián Cǎo.
Botanical Source: Official classical herbal works define Herba Pyrolae (Pyrola Herb) as the dried whole plant of (1) Pyrola calliantha H. Andres and (2) Pyrola decorata H. Andres. Other authoritative herbal classics extend the source to include (3) Pyrola japonica Klenze ex Alef. and (4) Pyrola incarnata Fisch. ex DC. These species belong to the genus Pyrola L., family Pyrolaceae (or Ericaceae, per modern taxonomy), order Ericales. Descriptions of these two officially recognized and two commonly used species follow:
(1) Pyrola calliantha H. Andres.
Botanical Description: Commonly known as Lù Tí Cǎo ("Deer Hoof Grass"), this evergreen small herbaceous perennial plant grows up to 10–30 cm tall. The rhizome is slender, elongated, amphitropous, obliquely ascending, and branched. Four to seven basal leaves are coriaceous; elliptic or ovoid, rarely suborbicular, 2.5–5.2 cm long and 1.7–3.5 cm wide; apex is blunt or obtuse; base is broadly cuneate or suborbicular; margin is subentire or sparsely toothed; upper surface is green; lower surface is often glaucous, sometimes purplish; petioles are 2–5.5 cm long, sometimes purplish. Scapes bear one to four scale-like leaves, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 7.5–8 mm long and 4–4.5 mm wide; apex is acuminate or shortly acuminate; base is slightly appressed or clasping the scape.
Racemes are 12–16 cm long, bearing nine to thirteen densely arranged, nodding (slightly pendulous) flowers. The corolla opens widely and is relatively large, 1.5–2 cm in diameter, white—sometimes faintly reddish. Pedicels are 5–10 mm long; long ligulate bracts (6–7.5 mm × 1.6–2 mm) occur in the axils, apex is acute. Sepals are ligulate (liguliform), 3–7.5 mm long and 1.5–3 mm wide; apex is acute or obtuse; margin is subentire. Petals are obovate-elliptic or obovate, 6–10 mm long and 5–8 mm wide. There are ten stamens; filaments are glabrous; anthers are long-cylindrical, 2.1–4 mm long and 1–1.4 mm wide, with a corniculum, yellow. The style is 6–10 mm long, often faintly reddish, oblique and suberect (nearly upright) or slightly curved upward, extending beyond the corolla or slightly exserted; apex is thickened, bearing inconspicuous annular protrusions; stigma is 5-lobed.
Capsules are oblate, 5–5.5 mm tall and 7.5–9 mm in diameter. Flowering occurs from June to August; fruiting from August to September.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows in coniferous forests, mixed coniferous–broad-leaved forests, or broad-leaved forests, at altitudes of 700–4,100 meters above sea level.
Growth Characteristics:Pyrola calliantha H. Andres prefers cool, moist habitats. It thrives best in humus-rich, well-drained soil abundant in decomposed leaf litter and can be cultivated under forest canopy.
Characteristics of the Herb: The whole herb is 10–30 cm long. The rhizome is slender and elongated, with branching. Four to seven basal leaves are present; leaf blades are elliptic or ovoid (egg-shaped), rarely suborbicular, up to 5.2 cm long and 3.5 cm wide; the abaxial surface is often glaucous, sometimes purplish.
(2) Pyrola decorata H. Andres.
Botanical Description: Commonly known as Pǔ Tōng Lù Tí Cǎo ("Common Pyrola"), Luǎn Yè Lù Tí Cǎo ("Oval-leaf Pyrola"), Yǎ Měi Lù Tí Cǎo ("Elegant Pyrola"), or Shān Měi Rén Lù Tí Cǎo ("Mountain Beauty Pyrola"), this evergreen suffruticose herb grows 15–35 cm tall. Rhizomes are slender, elongated, amphitropous or obliquely ascending, and branched. Three to six basal leaves are present; petioles are 1.5–4 cm long; leaf blades are thinly coriaceous, oblong to obovate-oblong or spatulate—rarely ovate-oblong—3–7 cm long and 2.5–4 cm wide; apex is bluntly pointed; base is cuneate or broadly cuneate, decurrent onto the petiole; upper surface is green, sometimes greenish-white or slightly whitish along the veins; lower surface is pale, often purplish, with sparse marginal teeth; petioles are 1.5–4 cm long—shorter than or subequal to the leaf blades.
The scape (flower stalk) is often purplish and bears one to three brown, scale-like leaves; apex is acuminate; base is slightly clasping the scape. Racemes are 2.5–4 cm long, bearing four to ten semi-pendulous flowers. The corolla is calathiform (bowl-shaped), pea-green (pale green), yellowish-green, or nearly white. Membranous bracts—nearly equal in length to the pedicels—occur in the axils of the pedicels. Sepal apices are acute; margins are paler in color. Petals are obovate-elliptic, up to 1 cm long and 7 mm wide, with rounded apices. There are ten stamens; filaments are glabrous; anthers are yellow and bearing a corniculum. The style is inclined, with the upper portion curved; the apex bears annular protrusions (often inconspicuous) and extends beyond the corolla; the stigma is 5-lobed.
Capsules are oblate, 7–10 mm in diameter. Flowering occurs from June to July; fruiting from July to August.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows in broad-leaved forests or shrublands, at altitudes of 600–3,000 meters above sea level.
Characteristics of the Herb: The whole herb is 14–30 cm long and glabrous, with a brownish-green or light reddish-brown hue. The rhizome is slender and elongated, bearing fine roots (radicels) and scale leaves; it exhibits faint longitudinal ridges and fine vertical wrinkles between them. Leaves are basal (not alternate); three to six in number; petioles are 2–4 cm long and ridged; leaf blades are coriaceous and relatively thick, ovate-oblong, elliptic, or oblong-ovate, 3.5–7 cm long and 2.3–4 cm wide; apex is bluntly pointed with minute mucronate tips; base is broadly cuneate, decurrent onto the petiole; margin is sparsely denticulate; upper surface is dull green (withered-green); lower surface is purplish-red (prunus-red). Scapes are 15–30 cm tall; racemes bear five to eight flowers; bracts are linear-lanceolate; flowers are broadly campanulate (bell-shaped); calyx is deeply 5-parted. Capsules are dark brown and oblate.
Medicinal Efficacy: Expels wind-dampness; strengthens tendons and bones; tonifies deficiency; nourishes the kidney; arrests bleeding; alleviates coughing; promotes blood circulation to regulate menstruation. It is indicated for rheumatic arthralgia, rheumatism and arthralgia, kidney-yin deficiency with low back pain, weakness and soreness of the lumbar region and knees, flaccidity of muscles and tendons, chronic cough due to lung- or kidney-qi deficiency, hemoptysis (including exertional hemoptysis), epistaxis, menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, metrostaxis, leukorrhea, and traumatic bleeding.
Administration of Herba Pyrolae (Lù Xián Cǎo):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Herba Pyrolae (Lù Xián Cǎo)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 9–15 grams, as a water decoction; (2) Internally:water decoction, 0.5–1 liang (approximately 15–30 grams), as a water decoction; or prepared as a finely powdered herb; or stewed with meat. External application: Apply an appropriate amount of fresh herb mashed into a paste, or sprinkle the powdered herb directly; or wash the affected area with a water decoction.(3) Internally: water decoction, 15–30 grams; prepare to finely ground herb powder, 6–9 grams. External application: Apply an appropriate amount of fresh herb mashed into a paste, or sprinkle the powdered herb directly; or wash the affected area with a water decoction.
(3) Pyrola japonica Klenze ex Alef.
Botanical Description:Pyrola japonica Klenze ex Alef., commonly known as Xiǎo Rì Běn Lù Tí Cǎo, is an evergreen, herbaceous, low-growing subshrub reaching 15–30 cm in height. The rhizome is slender, amphitropous, obliquely ascending, and branched. Basal leaves number 3–8, subcoriaceous (moderately leathery), elliptic to ovate-elliptic (rarely broadly elliptic), measuring 2.5–6 cm in length and 2.5–4.5 cm in width; leaf apex is obtuse, base is orbicular to rounded-cuneate; margin is nearly entire or with inconspicuous, sparse serrations; upper surface is dark green with pale venation; lower surface is green. Petioles bear narrow wings and measure 3–6 cm in length.
Scapes bear 1–2 membranous, lanceolate scale leaves (7–15 mm long, 2–4 mm wide) or are leafless; scale leaf apex is mucronate, base is slightly clasping.
Inflorescences are racemose, 6–10 cm long, bearing 3–12 flowers; racemes are inclined and semi-pendent. Corolla is calathiform (bowl-shaped), 10–12 mm in diameter, white. Pedicels are 4–6 mm long; bracts are linear-lanceolate, 5–8 mm long, inserted in axils, slightly longer than or subequal to pedicels; apex is acuminate. Sepals are lanceolate-triangular, 3.5–4 mm long, 1.6–2 mm broad at base, apex is acuminate or shortly acuminate. Petals are obovate-elliptic, 5–6.5 mm long and 3.5–4.5 mm wide, apex is rounded and obtuse. Stamens 10; filaments are glabrous; anthers are 2.2–2.5 mm long × 1–1.1 mm wide, with a dorsal corniculum and short apical tail. Style is 11–13 mm long, oblique, upper portion curved upward; stigma is thickened, lacking annular protrusions, exserted beyond the corolla.
Capsules are oblate, 6–8 mm in diameter. Flowering occurs from June to July; fruiting from August to September.
Ecological Environment: P. japonica inhabits mixed coniferous–broad-leaved forests or pure broad-leaved forests at elevations of 800–2,000 m above sea level.
Characteristics of the Herb: Racemes bearing 3–12 flowers; sepals are broadly lanceolate; leaves are broadly ovate to broadly oval; scapes are either ebracteate or bearing a single bract.
(4) Pyrola incarnata Fisch. ex DC.
Botanical Description:Pyrola incarnata Fisch. ex DC., commonly referred to as Hóng Huā Lù Tí Cǎo ("Red-flowered Pyrola"), is an evergreen, herbaceous, low-growing subshrub attaining heights of 15–30 cm. The rhizome is slender, amphitropous, obliquely ascending, and branched. Basal leaves number 3–7, thinly coriaceous and slightly glossy, orbicular (suborbicular), ovoid, or ovate-elliptic, 3.5–6 cm long and 2.5–5.5 cm wide; apex is blunt, base is orbicular (suborbicular) or rounded-cuneate; margin is nearly entire or with shallow, inconspicuous teeth; both surfaces are occasionally purplish, with slightly prominent veins. Petioles are 5.5–7 cm long—approximately equal to leaf blade length (rarely subequal)—and sometimes purplish. Scapes are frequently purplish, bearing 2–3 brown, membranous, narrowly oblong to oblong-ovate scale leaves (12–15 mm long, 3–5 mm wide), apex is acute or mucronate.
Inflorescences are racemose, 5–16 cm long, bearing 7–15 flowers; racemes are inclined and slightly pendulous. Corollas are widely open and calathiform, 13–20 mm in diameter, purplish-red. Pedicels are 6–7.5 mm long (up to 7–12 mm during anthesis); membranous, lanceolate bracts (≈7–8 mm long) inserted in axils, typically longer than pedicels (rarely subequal); apex is acuminate. Sepals are triangular-lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm long and 1.5–2 mm broad at base, apex is acuminate. Petals are obovate. Stamens 10; filaments are glabrous; anthers are 2.2–2.5 mm long × 1–1.2 mm wide, bearing a dorsal corniculum and turning purple upon maturity. Style is 6–10 mm long, oblique, upper portion curved upward; stigma is annularly protruded at apex, exserted beyond the corolla; stigma is lobed, pentamerous.
Capsules are oblate, 4.5–5 mm tall × 7–8 mm in diameter, violet-reddish. Flowering occurs from June to July; fruiting from August to September.
Ecological Environment:Pyrola incarnata occurs in coniferous forests, mixed coniferous–broad-leaved forests, and broad-leaved forests at elevations of 1,000–2,500 m above sea level.
Characteristics of the Herb: Flowers are claret (dark purplish-red); sepals are triangular-lanceolate with acuminate apex.
✵This article documents the herb Pyrola Herb, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical sources as defined in classical herbal texts—two officially recognized species: (1) Pyrola calliantha H. Andres and (2) Pyrola decorata H. Andres—as well as two additional commonly used species: (3) Pyrola japonica Klenze ex Alef. and (4) Pyrola incarnata Fisch. ex DC. It provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these four species; to the macroscopic characteristics of the herb Pyrola Herb; and to its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Lù Xián Cǎo
Botanical Description: Commonly known as Lù Tí Cǎo ("Deer Hoof Grass"), this evergreen small herbaceous perennial plant grows up to 10–30 cm tall. The rhizome is slender, elongated, amphitropous, obliquely ascending, and branched. Four to seven basal leaves are coriaceous; elliptic or ovoid, rarely suborbicular, 2.5–5.2 cm long and 1.7–3.5 cm wide; apex is blunt or obtuse; base is broadly cuneate or suborbicular; margin is subentire or sparsely toothed; upper surface is green; lower surface is often glaucous, sometimes purplish; petioles are 2–5.5 cm long, sometimes purplish. Scapes bear one to four scale-like leaves, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 7.5–8 mm long and 4–4.5 mm wide; apex is acuminate or shortly acuminate; base is slightly appressed or clasping the scape.
Racemes are 12–16 cm long, bearing nine to thirteen densely arranged, nodding (slightly pendulous) flowers. The corolla opens widely and is relatively large, 1.5–2 cm in diameter, white—sometimes faintly reddish. Pedicels are 5–10 mm long; long ligulate bracts (6–7.5 mm × 1.6–2 mm) occur in the axils, apex is acute. Sepals are ligulate (liguliform), 3–7.5 mm long and 1.5–3 mm wide; apex is acute or obtuse; margin is subentire. Petals are obovate-elliptic or obovate, 6–10 mm long and 5–8 mm wide. There are ten stamens; filaments are glabrous; anthers are long-cylindrical, 2.1–4 mm long and 1–1.4 mm wide, with a corniculum, yellow. The style is 6–10 mm long, often faintly reddish, oblique and suberect (nearly upright) or slightly curved upward, extending beyond the corolla or slightly exserted; apex is thickened, bearing inconspicuous annular protrusions; stigma is 5-lobed.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows in coniferous forests, mixed coniferous–broad-leaved forests, or broad-leaved forests, at altitudes of 700–4,100 meters above sea level.
Growth Characteristics: Pyrola calliantha H. Andres prefers cool, moist habitats. It thrives best in humus-rich, well-drained soil abundant in decomposed leaf litter and can be cultivated under forest canopy.
Characteristics of the Herb: The whole herb is 10–30 cm long. The rhizome is slender and elongated, with branching. Four to seven basal leaves are present; leaf blades are elliptic or ovoid (egg-shaped), rarely suborbicular, up to 5.2 cm long and 3.5 cm wide; the abaxial surface is often glaucous, sometimes purplish.
Botanical Description: Commonly known as Pǔ Tōng Lù Tí Cǎo ("Common Pyrola"), Luǎn Yè Lù Tí Cǎo ("Oval-leaf Pyrola"), Yǎ Měi Lù Tí Cǎo ("Elegant Pyrola"), or Shān Měi Rén Lù Tí Cǎo ("Mountain Beauty Pyrola"), this evergreen suffruticose herb grows 15–35 cm tall. Rhizomes are slender, elongated, amphitropous or obliquely ascending, and branched. Three to six basal leaves are present; petioles are 1.5–4 cm long; leaf blades are thinly coriaceous, oblong to obovate-oblong or spatulate—rarely ovate-oblong—3–7 cm long and 2.5–4 cm wide; apex is bluntly pointed; base is cuneate or broadly cuneate, decurrent onto the petiole; upper surface is green, sometimes greenish-white or slightly whitish along the veins; lower surface is pale, often purplish, with sparse marginal teeth; petioles are 1.5–4 cm long—shorter than or subequal to the leaf blades.
The scape (flower stalk) is often purplish and bears one to three brown, scale-like leaves; apex is acuminate; base is slightly clasping the scape. Racemes are 2.5–4 cm long, bearing four to ten semi-pendulous flowers. The corolla is calathiform (bowl-shaped), pea-green (pale green), yellowish-green, or nearly white. Membranous bracts—nearly equal in length to the pedicels—occur in the axils of the pedicels. Sepal apices are acute; margins are paler in color. Petals are obovate-elliptic, up to 1 cm long and 7 mm wide, with rounded apices. There are ten stamens; filaments are glabrous; anthers are yellow and bearing a corniculum. The style is inclined, with the upper portion curved; the apex bears annular protrusions (often inconspicuous) and extends beyond the corolla; the stigma is 5-lobed.
Capsules are oblate, 7–10 mm in diameter. Flowering occurs from June to July; fruiting from July to August.
Characteristics of the Herb: The whole herb is 14–30 cm long and glabrous, with a brownish-green or light reddish-brown hue. The rhizome is slender and elongated, bearing fine roots (radicels) and scale leaves; it exhibits faint longitudinal ridges and fine vertical wrinkles between them. Leaves are basal (not alternate); three to six in number; petioles are 2–4 cm long and ridged; leaf blades are coriaceous and relatively thick, ovate-oblong, elliptic, or oblong-ovate, 3.5–7 cm long and 2.3–4 cm wide; apex is bluntly pointed with minute mucronate tips; base is broadly cuneate, decurrent onto the petiole; margin is sparsely denticulate; upper surface is dull green (withered-green); lower surface is purplish-red (prunus-red). Scapes are 15–30 cm tall; racemes bear five to eight flowers; bracts are linear-lanceolate; flowers are broadly campanulate (bell-shaped); calyx is deeply 5-parted. Capsules are dark brown and oblate.
Botanical Description: Pyrola japonica Klenze ex Alef., commonly known as Xiǎo Rì Běn Lù Tí Cǎo, is an evergreen, herbaceous, low-growing subshrub reaching 15–30 cm in height. The rhizome is slender, amphitropous, obliquely ascending, and branched. Basal leaves number 3–8, subcoriaceous (moderately leathery), elliptic to ovate-elliptic (rarely broadly elliptic), measuring 2.5–6 cm in length and 2.5–4.5 cm in width; leaf apex is obtuse, base is orbicular to rounded-cuneate; margin is nearly entire or with inconspicuous, sparse serrations; upper surface is dark green with pale venation; lower surface is green. Petioles bear narrow wings and measure 3–6 cm in length.
Botanical Description: Pyrola incarnata Fisch. ex DC., commonly referred to as Hóng Huā Lù Tí Cǎo ("Red-flowered Pyrola"), is an evergreen, herbaceous, low-growing subshrub attaining heights of 15–30 cm. The rhizome is slender, amphitropous, obliquely ascending, and branched. Basal leaves number 3–7, thinly coriaceous and slightly glossy, orbicular (suborbicular), ovoid, or ovate-elliptic, 3.5–6 cm long and 2.5–5.5 cm wide; apex is blunt, base is orbicular (suborbicular) or rounded-cuneate; margin is nearly entire or with shallow, inconspicuous teeth; both surfaces are occasionally purplish, with slightly prominent veins. Petioles are 5.5–7 cm long—approximately equal to leaf blade length (rarely subequal)—and sometimes purplish. Scapes are frequently purplish, bearing 2–3 brown, membranous, narrowly oblong to oblong-ovate scale leaves (12–15 mm long, 3–5 mm wide), apex is acute or mucronate.
Inflorescences are racemose, 5–16 cm long, bearing 7–15 flowers; racemes are inclined and slightly pendulous. Corollas are widely open and calathiform, 13–20 mm in diameter, purplish-red. Pedicels are 6–7.5 mm long (up to 7–12 mm during anthesis); membranous, lanceolate bracts (≈7–8 mm long) inserted in axils, typically longer than pedicels (rarely subequal); apex is acuminate. Sepals are triangular-lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm long and 1.5–2 mm broad at base, apex is acuminate. Petals are obovate. Stamens 10; filaments are glabrous; anthers are 2.2–2.5 mm long × 1–1.2 mm wide, bearing a dorsal corniculum and turning purple upon maturity. Style is 6–10 mm long, oblique, upper portion curved upward; stigma is annularly protruded at apex, exserted beyond the corolla; stigma is lobed, pentamerous.
Capsules are oblate, 4.5–5 mm tall × 7–8 mm in diameter, violet-reddish. Flowering occurs from June to July; fruiting from August to September.
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