✵The article records the herb Perilla Leaf, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. and (2) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. var. acuta (Thunb.) Kudo—along with a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these two plants; the characteristics of the herb Perilla Leaf; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Folium Perillae (Perilla Leaf)
Pinyin Name: Zǐ Sū Yè
English Name: Perilla Leaf
Latin Name: Folium Perillae
Properties and Flavor: Warm, pungent
Brief Introduction:Folium Perillae is the dried leaf of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., used (1) to induce sweating for treating wind-cold disorders, (2) to stop vomiting, and (3) as an antidote for fish and crab poisoning. It is commonly known as Perilla Leaf, Purple Perilla Leaf, or Zǐ Sū Yè.
Botanical Source: Folium Perillae (Perilla Leaf) is the dryied leaf of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., a plant belonging to the genus Perilla L., family Lamiaceae (formerly Labiatae, the mint family), order Lamiales.
Classical herbal texts define Folium Perillae (Perilla Leaf, Zǐ Sū Yè) as the dried leaf of (1) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. Other authoritative herbal classics define the herb as the dried leaf of species:(1) Perilla frutescens(L.) Britt., (2) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt.var.acuta (Thunb.) Kudo. These two commonly used species are described below:
(1).Perilla frutescens(L.)Britt.
Botanical Description: The plant is also known as Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. Var.crispa (Thumb.) Hand.-Mand.-Mazz. It is an annual herb growing 30–200 cm tall, with a distinctive aromatic odor. Stems are erect, many-branched, purple, greenish-purple, or green, obtusely quadrangular, and densely pilose. Leaves are opposite; petioles are 3–5 cm long, purplish-red or green, covered with long hairs; leaf blades are broadly ovate, ovoid or ovate-triangular, 4–13 cm long and 2.5–10 cm wide; apex acuminate or tapering, sometimes shortly caudate; base rounded or broadly cuneate; margin coarsely serrate, occasionally deeply serrate or shallowly lobed; both surfaces are purple, or only the under surface is purple; both surfaces are sparsely pubescent, denser along the veins; the under surface of the leaf bearing minute glandular oil droplets; lateral veins are in 7–8 pairs, lower ones slightly convergent, obliquely ascending.
Verticillasters, each with two flowers clustered unilaterally to form false racemes, terminal and axillary; inflorescence are densely pilose; bracts are oval (egg-shaped), ovate-triangular, or lanceolate, entire, ciliate, with glandular dots on the outer surface and a membranous margin. Pedicels are 1–1.5 mm long, densely pilose. Calyx is campanulate, ~3 mm long, with 10 prominent veins; outer surface densely pilose and bearing yellow glandular dots in the lower portion; apex with five teeth; bilabiate—upper lip is broad and large, with three teeth; lower lip with two teeth; calyx enlarges during fruiting, base is saccate; Corolla is labiate, 3–4 mm long, white or purplish-red; corolla tube bears a ring of hairs internally; externally pubescent; upper lip is slightly concave, lower lip is 3-lobed, lobes are orbicular (subrotund), middle lobes are bigger; Stamens four, didynamous, inserted near the middle of the corolla tube, scarcely exserted; anthers are bilocular; the floral disc enlarged anteriorly; 1 pistil; ovary is 4-lobed; style is subbasal; stigma is bilobed;
Nutlets are subglobose (subglobular), grayish-brown or brown, 1–1.3 mm in diameter, reticulate; fruit calyx is ~10 mm long. Flowering occurs from June to August; fruiting extends from July to September.
Ecological Environment: This species grows wild in mountainous areas, along roadsides, at village margins, or on wastelands; it is also cultivated.
Growth Characteristics: The plant prefers a warm, moist climate and thrives in sunny conditions, yielding abundantly. Well-drained, loose, fertile soil is optimal for cultivation.
Characteristics of the Herb: Leaves are wrinkled, curled, and fragmented; intact leaves, when flattened, are oval, 4–11 cm long and 2.5–9 cm wide. Apex is acuminate or pointed; base is rounded or broadly cuneate; margin is crenate. Both surfaces are purple, or upper surface is green, under surface is purple; sparsely covered with grayish-white hairs; under surface bearing numerous sunken glandular scales. Petioles are 2–5 cm long, purple or purplish-green. Texture is crisp. In herbs containing young stems (shoots), stem diameter is 2–5 mm, purplish-green, with pith visible in the center of the fracture surface. Odor is delicate and fragrant; taste is mildly pungent.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Antimicrobial activity: inhibitory effects against Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum gypseum, and Epidermophyton floccosum; (2) Effects on the gastrointestinal tract; (3) Effects on the coagulation system.
Medicinal Efficacy: Dispels cold and relieve the exterior syndrome, promoting the circulation of Qi, transform phlegm, stabilizes the fetus, detoxifies fish and crab poisoning. It is indicated for wind-cold exterior syndrome, phlegm-damp cough, fullness in the chest and gastral cavity, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fetal restlessness (manifesting as nausea, vomiting, and edema of legs during pregnancy), hyperemesis gravidarum, and fish or crab food poisoning.
Administration of Folium Perillae (Zǐ Sū Yè):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Folium Perillae (Zǐ Sū Yè)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 5–9 grams, as a water decoction; (2) 2–3 qián (≈6–9 grams), as a water decoction; external use: fresh herb mashed and applied topically, or decoction used for washing; (3) Water decoction: 5–10 grams, Externally: appropriate amount, mashed and applied topically, prepare to finely grounded herb powder and smear, or wash with water decoction, or 5–10 grams, water decoction (avoid prolonged boiling); up to 30–60 g for acute fish or crab poisoning; Externally: fresh herb mashed and applied, finely powdered herb sprinkled or smeared, or decoction used for washing.
Pinyin Name: Yě Zǐ Sū Yè
English Name: Wild Perilla Leaf
Latin Name: Folium Perillae
Properties and Flavor: Warm, pungent
Botanical Description: This variety is also known as wild perilla. It differs from the cultivated type in the following features: the fruiting calyx is smaller (4–5.5 mm long) and sparsely pilose on the under surface, bearing glandular dots; stems are pubescent; leaves are smaller, oval, 4.5–7.5 cm long and 2.8–5 cm wide, sparsely pilose on both surfaces. Nutlets are small, khaki-colored, 1–1.5 mm in diameter. Flowering occurs from June to August; fruiting extends from July to September.
Characteristics of the Herb: Intact leaves of wild purple perilla are oval when flattened, 4–7 cm long and 2.5–5 cm wide. Both surfaces are green, dark green, or purplish; margins are crenate.
✵The article records the herb Perilla Leaf, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. and (2) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. var. acuta (Thunb.) Kudo—along with a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these two plants; the characteristics of the herb Perilla Leaf; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Zǐ Sū Yè
Botanical Description: The plant is also known as Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. Var.crispa (Thumb.) Hand.-Mand.-Mazz. It is an annual herb growing 30–200 cm tall, with a distinctive aromatic odor. Stems are erect, many-branched, purple, greenish-purple, or green, obtusely quadrangular, and densely pilose. Leaves are opposite; petioles are 3–5 cm long, purplish-red or green, covered with long hairs; leaf blades are broadly ovate, ovoid or ovate-triangular, 4–13 cm long and 2.5–10 cm wide; apex acuminate or tapering, sometimes shortly caudate; base rounded or broadly cuneate; margin coarsely serrate, occasionally deeply serrate or shallowly lobed; both surfaces are purple, or only the under surface is purple; both surfaces are sparsely pubescent, denser along the veins; the under surface of the leaf bearing minute glandular oil droplets; lateral veins are in 7–8 pairs, lower ones slightly convergent, obliquely ascending.
Ecological Environment: This species grows wild in mountainous areas, along roadsides, at village margins, or on wastelands; it is also cultivated.
Pinyin Name: Yě Zǐ Sū Yè
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