Introduction of Niu Banɡ Zi:Fructus Arctii or Burdock Fruit.
✵The article gives records of the herb Burdock Fruit, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Arctium lappa 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 Burdock Fruit, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Fructus Arctii(Burdock Fruit).
Pin Yin Name: Niú Bànɡ Zǐ.
English Name: Burdock Fruit, Great Burdock Achene.
Latin Name: Fructus Arctii.
Property and flavor: cold, pungent, bitter.
Brief introduction: The herb Fructus Arctii is the dried ripe fruit of great burdock, Arctium lappa L., used (1).to disperse wind and heat in the treatment of wind-heat affliction, (2).to promote eruption for measles, and (3).to counteract toxins and reduce swelling for boils, sores, mumps and erysipelas. The herb is commonly known as Fructus Arctii, Burdock Fruit, Niú Bànɡ Zǐ.
Botanical source: The herb Fructus Arctii (Burdock Fruit) is the dried ripe fruit of the Arctium lappa L., it is a plant of the Arctium genus, the Asteraceae family (Compositae, daisy family) of the Asterales order. This commonly used species is introduced:
Arctium lappa L.
Botanical description: Arctium lappa L is a biennial herb, the plant grows up to 1~2 meter high. The root is thick, succulent, and conical. The stem is upright, branched at the upper part, with purple-brown, vertical stripe edges. Basal leaves are big, clustered, have long petioles; stem leaves are alternative; leaf blades are ovate-oblong or broad-ovate, 20~50 cm long, 15~40 cm wide, the apex is obtuse, with sharp spines, base usually is cordate, entire or irregular wavy tiny serrate, the upper surface is green or dark green. With sparse hairs, the undersurface is covered with gray-white pubescence.
Capitulum (flower head) cluster on the branch top or arranged in corymbose, 2~4 cm in diameter, the peduncle is 3~7 cm long, the surface has shallow grooves, densely covered with fuzz; involucre is a spheric shape, bracts are numerous, imbricate, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, the apex is hooked and curved; flowers are small, reddish violet, are all tubular flowers, hermaphroditic, corolla apex is 5-lobed, 5 synantherous stamens, alternate with corolla lobes, anther is yellow; the ovary is inferior, 1 loculus, the apex is disc-shape, covered with a short setiform pappus; style is thin and long, stigma is 2-lobed.
Achenes are oblong or oblong-obovate, taupe (grayish-brown), have vertical grooves, and pappus is spiked, light yellowish-brown. Its flowering period is from June to August, the fruiting period is from August to October.
Arctium lappa L is usually cultivated. The plant in wild fields usually grows on the wild roadsides, ditch sides, barren land, sunny grass land on slopes, forest edges, and near village and town. It is distributed in the northern, northwest, middle south, southwest areas, and the lower reaches of the Yangtze river, etc.
Growth characteristics: The plant prefers a warm and humid climate, is tolerant to cold and aridity, afraid of water logging. It is appropriate to cultivate in a field with a deep soil layers, loose and fertile sandy loam with good drainage. The suitable temperature for sprouting is 20~25 °C (Celsius, or 68~77 degrees Fahrenheit), germination percentage is 70%~90%.
Characters of herbs: The herb achene is long obovate, both sides are truncated, slightly flat, slightly curved, 5~7 mm long, and 2~3 mm in diameter. The surface is grayish brown or light grayish brown, with numerous black spots and obvious vertical edges. The apex is wider, there is a ring, and there is dotted style residue in the center; the base is slightly narrow, has round fruit stalk marks. The texture of the herb is hard, after broken two cotyledons are visible, yellowish white, and oleosus (oily). The achene is odorless, the seed has a special smell, tastes bitter and slightly pungent, and slightly tingling after a while. The herb of a better grade has big grains, full, and taupe (grayish-brown).
Pharmacological actions: ①.anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, diuretic, anti-tumor, lower blood sugar, and other effects; ②.inhibitory effect on pneumococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, and a variety of pathogenic skin fungi; ③.Arctiin can paralyze the heart, uterus, intestines, bones, and motor nerves in vitro.
Medicinal efficacy: Disperse wind and heat, open the inhibited lung-energy and prompt eruption, reduce swelling and detoxification, relieve sore throat and eliminate stagnation, indicated for wind-heat cough, sore throat, macula not erupt, urticaria itching, carbuncle swollen ulcer sore poison.
Administration of Fructus Arctii (Niú Bànɡ Zǐ):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Fructus Arctii (Niú Bànɡ Zǐ)
TCM Books:
①.Internally: 6~12 grams; ②.1.5~3 qian (4.5~9 grams), water decoction,or prepare into powder.Externally:mouth wash with water decoction; ③.water decoction, 5~10 grams, or prepare to finely ground herb powder and prepared to pill, powder.Externally:mouthwash with water decoction.
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1.Introduction of Niu Banɡ Zi:Fructus Arctii or Burdock Fruit.
✵The article gives records of the herb Burdock Fruit, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Arctium lappa 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 Burdock Fruit, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Pin Yin Name: Niú Bànɡ Zǐ.
Botanical description: Arctium lappa L is a biennial herb, the plant grows up to 1~2 meter high. The root is thick, succulent, and conical. The stem is upright, branched at the upper part, with purple-brown, vertical stripe edges. Basal leaves are big, clustered, have long petioles; stem leaves are alternative; leaf blades are ovate-oblong or broad-ovate, 20~50 cm long, 15~40 cm wide, the apex is obtuse, with sharp spines, base usually is cordate, entire or irregular wavy tiny serrate, the upper surface is green or dark green. With sparse hairs, the undersurface is covered with gray-white pubescence.
Arctium lappa L is usually cultivated. The plant in wild fields usually grows on the wild roadsides, ditch sides, barren land, sunny grass land on slopes, forest edges, and near village and town. It is distributed in the northern, northwest, middle south, southwest areas, and the lower reaches of the Yangtze river, etc.
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