Introduction of Shui Hong Hua Zi:Prince's-feather Fruit or Fructus Polygoni Orientalis.

TCM Herbalism:Medicinals and Classifications. ✵The article gives records of the herb Prince's-feather Fruit, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Polygonum orientale L., and another usable plant species, ②.Polygonum lapathifolium L., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of this plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this plant species, the features of the herb Prince's-feather Fruit, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.

Fructus Polygoni Orientalis(Prince's-feather Fruit).

Fructus Polygoni Orientalis:herb photo Pin Yin Name: Shuǐ Hónɡ Huā Zǐ.
 English Name: Prince's-feather Fruit.
 Latin Name: Fructus Polygoni Orientalis.
 Property and flavor: slightly cold, salty.

 Brief introduction: The herb Fructus Polygoni Orientalis is the dried ripe fruit of Polygonum orientalis L., used to eliminate blood stasis in the treatment of abdominal pain and relieve epigastric pain due to food stagnation. The herb is commonly known as Fructus Polygoni Orientalis, Prince's-feather Fruit, Shuǐ Hónɡ Huā Zǐ.

 Botanical source: Herbal classic book defined the herb Fructus Polygoni Orientalis(Prince's-feather Fruit) as the dried ripe fruit of the species (1). Polygonum orientale L. Other famous herbal classics defined the herb Fructus Polygoni Orientalis(Prince's-feather Fruit) as the fruit of the species (1). Polygonum orientale L., (2). Polygonum lapathifolium L. They are plants of the Polygonum L. Genus, the Polygonaceae family (smartweed or buckwheat family) of the Polygonales order. These 2 commonly used species are introduced:

(1).Polygonum orientale L.


 Polygonum orientale L.:flowering plant Botanical description: The plant is commonly known as Hóng Liǎo. Annual herb. The stem is upright, stout, 1~2 meters high, the upper part is much-branched, densely spreading villous.

 Leaves are broadly ovate, broadly elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, 10~20 cm long, 5~12 cm wide, apex is acuminate, the base is rounded or subcordate, margin is entire, margin is densely pubescent, both surfaces are densely pubescent, veins densely growing pubescent; Petiole is 2~10 cm long, with spreading villous; Stipules are tubular, membranous, 1~2 cm long, villous, with long ciliate hairs, usually with grassy, green wings along the apex.

 Polygonum orientale L.:flowering plant Racemes are spicate, terminal or axillary, 3~7 cm long, flowers are compact, slightly pendulous, usually several again paniculate; Bracts are broadly funnelform, 3~5 mm long, grassy, green, pubescent, margin with long margin, 3~5 flowers per bract; Pedicels are longer than bracts; Perianth is 5-lobed, pink or white; Tepals are elliptic, 3~4 mm long; 7 stamens, longer than perianth; Disc is conspicuous; 2 styles, lower-middle connate, longer than perianth, stigma capitate.

 Achene is subcircular, biconcave, 3~3.5 mm in diameter, dark brown, glossy, enveloped in persistent perianth. Its flowering period is from June to September, fruiting from August to October.

 Polygonum orientale L.:flowering plant Ecological Environment: the plant is widely distributed throughout China, also is distributed in Southeast Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Wild or cultivated. It grows in channel edge, wetland, village side roadside, at the area with an altitude of elevation 30~2,700 meters. It prefers warm and humid environment, the requirements of adequate light. Its adaptability is very strong, not strict to soil requirement, adapt to the soil of all sorts of types, like fertile, moist, loose soil, but also can bear barren. It is both water-loving and drought-tolerant. It is often growing in valleys, roadsides, dikes of fields, grasslands, and wetlands on both sides of rivers. The plant has strong vitality, almost no diseases, and insect pests.

 Prince feather Fruit:herb photo Characters of herbs: The achenes are flat and round, with a diameter of 3~4 mm or 2-3.5 mm, and a thickness of about 1 mm or 1~1.5 mm. The surface is brown-black, brown-yellow, or reddish-brown, smooth and shiny, slightly concave on both sides, slightly longitudinal uplift in the middle, protruding stylopodium at the apex, yellow carpopodium (fruit stalk) marks at the base, and some residual gray-white membranous perianth. The texture of the herb is hard. Except for the pericarp, we can see an oblate seed, which is surrounded by a light brown membranous seed coat, a light brown protuberant micropyle at the apex, and a round hilum at the base. The endosperm is white, powdery, and the embryo is small and curved, located around the endosperm. The herb has a slight odor, it tastes mild or slightly pungent. The herb of better grade has big, full, and brownish-black grains.

 Polygonum orientale L.:flowering plant Pharmacological actions: ①.anti-tumor effect; ②.antibacterial effect; ③.diuretic effect.

 Medicinal efficacy: Dissipate blood stasis and eliminate mass, invigorate blood circulation, removing Qi stagnation or food retention and analgesic, invigorate spleen and remove dampness through diuresis, clear heat and detoxify, and improving eyesight. It is indicated for abdominal mass and lump in the abdomen, hypochondriac abdominal accumulation, lump gall swelling pain, dyspepsia and indigestion, dropsy in belly, stomachache, epigastric distention pain, abdominal distention and poor appetite, pinkeye, sore and swelling, scrofula, etc.

 Administration of Fructus Polygoni Orientalis (Shuǐ Hónɡ Huā Zǐ): 
 
Reference: Administration Guide of Fructus Polygoni Orientalis (Shuǐ Hónɡ Huā Zǐ)
TCM Books: ①.Internally:15~30 grams. Externally:proper amount, prepare an ointment and apply stick; ②.Internally:water decoction,2~3 qian(about 6~9 grams), big dosage up to 1 liang (about 30 grams);prepare to ground herb powder, prepare an ointment or infusing in wine. Externally:prepare an ointment or mashed and apply stick; ③.Internally:water decoction,3~10 grams, prepare to ground herb powder, prepare an ointment or infusing in wine. Externally:proper amount, prepare an ointment or mashed and apply stick.

(2).Polygonum lapathifolium L.


 Polygonum lapathifolium L.:growing plant Botanical description: The plant is commonly known as Suān Mú Yè Liǎo. Annual herb, the plant grows up to 40~90 cm tall. The stem is upright, branched, glabrous, nodes are swollen.

 Leaves are lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, 5~15 cm long, 1~3 cm wide, apex is acuminate or pointed, base is cuneate, upper part is green, often with a large black-brown crescent-shaped spot, both surfaces are shortly stiffly oppressed along midvein, entire, margin is coarsely ciliate; Petiole is short, shortly stiffly oppressed; Leaf-sheath is tubular, 1.5~3 cm long, membranous, pale brown, glabrous, with many veins, apex is truncate, without hairs, rarely with short hairs.

 Polygonum lapathifolium L.:growing plant Racemes are spicate, terminal or axillary, suberect, flowers are compact, usually several paniculate, peduncle is glandular; Bracts are funnelform, the margin is sparsely shortly hairy; Perianth is pink or white, 4~5 deeply lobed, perianth slice is elliptic, outer two sides are larger, veins are strong, top fork cent, outer curve; It usually has 6 stamens.

  Achene is broadly ovate, double concave, 2~3 mm long, dark brown, glossy, enveloped in the persistent perianth. Its flowering period is from June to August, fruiting from July to September.

 Polygonum lapathifolium L.:flowering plant Ecological Environment: the plant is widely distributed in the areas of north and south China, it is also distributed in Europe, other areas of East Asia, Pakistan, health field edge, roadside, water edge, wasteland or ditch edge wetland, at areas with an altitude of elevation 30~3,900 meters. Polygonum lapathifolium is a common weed in dry and paddy fields and their surrounding areas. The suitable temperature for germination is 15~20 °C (Celsius, or 59~68 degrees Fahrenheit), a seedling depth of 5 cm. In the north area, seedlings began to emerge in late April, flowers in late June and seeds began to mature in mid-July. Seedlings appeared in early March in the east, flowering and fruiting in May. In the Zhujiang river area, seedlings emerge in December, flowering, and fruiting in February. In the Yangtze river basin and the south area, the herb seedling from September to the second spring, its fruiting period is from April to May, mature before the crop fruit harvest date. Strong adaptability.
 
Article Links.

 
  

 

 QR codeURL QR code:
 URL QR-code 

 
References:
  • 1.Introduction of Shui Hong Hua Zi:Prince's-feather Fruit or Fructus Polygoni Orientalis.

 Last edit and latest revision date:
   cool hit counter