Introduction of Kuan Dong Hua:Flos Farfarae or Common Coltsfoot Flower.
✵The article gives records of the herb Common Coltsfoot Flower, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Tussilago farfara L., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of this plant, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this plant, the features of the herb Common Coltsfoot Flower, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Flos Farfarae(Common Coltsfoot Flower).
Pin Yin Name: Kuǎn Dōnɡ Huā.
English Name: Common Coltsfoot Flower.
Latin Name: Flos Farfarae.
Property and flavor: warm, pungent, slight bitter.
Brief introduction: The herb Flos Farfarae is the dried flower-bud of Tussilago farfara L., used for treating a chronic cough with profuse expectoration and hemoptysis in consumptive diseases.
Botanical source: The herb Flos Farfarae (Common Coltsfoot Flower) is the dried flower-bud of Tussilago farfara L., it is a plant of the Tussilago L. genus, the Asteraceae family (Compositae, daisy family) of the Campanulales order. It is also known as Common Coltsfoot Flower, Kuǎn Dōnɡ Huā.
Herbal classic book defined the herb Flos Farfarae (Common Coltsfoot Flower) as the dried flower-bud of:(1). Tussilago farfara L. This commonly used species is introduced:
(1).Tussilago farfara L.
Botanical description: Tussilago farfara L is also known as the Common Coltsfoot Flower. A perennial herbaceous plant. The rhizome is brown, amphitropal underground. Leaves grow from the near root part after the anthesis (flowering period); the leaf blade is broadly cordate or reniform, 3~12 cm long, 4~14 cm wide, the apex is the orbicular or blunt point; the edge has an undulated tip with the thickened black-brown sparse tooth, and the upper surface has arachnoid hairs, the undersurface has white panniform hairs; palmate reticulated veins, 5~9 main veins, petioles are 5~19 cm long, covered with white woolly hairs. Between winter and spring, several scapes sprout, 5~10 cm high, covered with white fuzz; bracts are elliptical, lavender-brown (light purple-brown), over 10 bracts, closely interspersed on the scape;
Capitulum (flower head) is terminal, bright yellow, pendulous when not blooming; involucre is campanulate (bell shape); involucral bracts are in 1~2 layers, tomentose; the edge has ligulate flowers, female, in layers, the ovary is inferior, stigma is 2-lobed; tubular flowers are in the center, hermaphroditic, the apex is 5-lobed, 5 stamens, anther base is caudiform (tail shape), stigma is capitate, usually sterile.
Achene is long oblong, with 5~10 edges, and the pappus is faint yellow (light yellow). Its flowering period is from January to February, and the fruiting period is in April.
Ecological environment: The plant grows on sunny, warmer ditch sides. Resource distribution: The plant is mainly distributed in the northern, northwest areas, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and other areas of China.
Growth characteristics: The plant is cultivated or grows in wild fields along rivers or sandy land. The plant prefers a cool and humid environment, is tolerant of severe cold, and avoids high temperatures and drought. The suitable temperature for growth is 15~25 °C (Celsius, or 59~77 degrees Fahrenheit), better choose a mountain area or shady slopes for planting. It can be intercropped with fruit trees on plain fields. Better choose humus-rich soil or subacid sandy loam for planting.
Characters of herbs: The capitulum (flower head) not bloomed is irregular short rod-shaped, solitary, or 2~3 inflorescence bases connate, commonly known as successive three flowers, 1~2.5 cm long. The upper end is thicker, the lower end is tapered or has short stalks, and there are many fish-scale bracts on the outer surface; the outer surface of the bracts is reddish purple (reddish violet) or pale red, and the inner surface is densely covered with white woolly hairs (tomentose). The herb is light. After tearing, white filamentous woolly hairs are visible; the ligulate flower and tubular flower are thin and small, about 2 mm long. The herb smells fragrant, tastes slightly bitter, and pungent, and has viscosity; after chewing a while, the herb turns to flocculence (cottony). The herb of a better grade is big, hypertrophic, purple and has a short pedicle (flower stalk). The woody old stalk and bloomed capitulum are not suitable for medicinal use.
Pharmacological actions: ①.Effect on respiratory system; ②.Effect on the circulatory system.
Medicinal efficacy: Moistening lung to lower Qi, relieving cough, and reducing sputum, indicated for dyspnea and cough with excessive sputum, over-strained cough and hemoptysis (coughing blood), etc.
Administration of Flos Farfarae (Kuǎn Dōnɡ Huā):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Flos Farfarae (Kuǎn Dōnɡ Huā)
TCM Books:
①.Internally:5~9 grams; ②.0.5~3 qian (about 1.5~9 grams); ③.3~10 grams, water decoction; Prepare to paste or prepare to finely ground herb powder and prepared to pill, powder. Externally: proper amount, prepare to finely ground herb powder and apply stick.
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References:
1.Introduction of Kuan Dong Hua:Flos Farfarae or Common Coltsfoot Flower.