✵The article records the herb Perilla Stem, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton and (2) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. purpurascens (Hayata) H. W. Li—with a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species; the morphological features of the herb Perilla Stem; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Caulis Perillae (Perilla Stem)
Pinyin name: Zǐ Sū Gěng
English Name: Perilla Stem
Latin Name:Caulis Perillae Property and Flavor: Warm, pungent
Brief Introduction: The herb Caulis Perillae is the dried stem of Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, used to regulate the flow of Qi, relieve pain, and calm the fetus for the treatment of chest tightness, epigastric pain, eructation, vomiting, and threatened abortion. It is commonly known as Caulis Perillae, Perilla Stem, or Zǐ Sū Gěng.
Botanical Source: Herbal classical works define Caulis Perillae (Perilla Stem) as the dried stem of either (1) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton or (2) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. purpurascens (Hayata) H. W. Li. These are plants of the genus Perilla L., family Lamiaceae (formerly Labiatae, the mint family), order Lamiales. The two commonly used species are described below:
(1) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton
Botanical Description: Also known as Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. crispa (Thunb.) Hand.-Mazz. Annual herb, growing up to 30–200 cm tall, with a distinctive fragrance. Stems are erect, much-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 is acuminate or tapering, sometimes shortly caudate; base is rounded or broadly cuneate; margin is coarsely serrate, occasionally with deep or shallow incisions; both surfaces are purple, or only the abaxial surface is purple; both surfaces are sparsely pubescent, denser along the veins; abaxial surface bearing minute glandular dots; lateral veins are in 7–8 pairs, lower ones are slightly convergent, obliquely ascending.
Verticillasters: two-flowered clusters grow unilaterally to form false racemes, terminal and axillary; inflorescences are densely pilose. Bracts are ovate (egg-shaped), ovate-triangular, or lanceolate, entire, ciliate, with glandular dots on the outer surface and membranous margins. Pedicels are 1–1.5 mm long, densely pilose. Calyx is campanulate, ~3 mm long, with 10 veins; outer surface is densely pilose and bearing yellow glandular dots in the lower part; apex with five teeth arranged in two lips (bilobed): 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 is internally bearing a ring of hairs, externally pubescent; upper lip is slightly concave; lower lip is three-lobed, lobes are orbicular (subrotund), middle lobe is larger. Stamens four, didynamous, inserted near the middle of the corolla tube, scarcely exserted; anthers are bilocular. Floral disc is swollen anteriorly. Pistil one; ovary is four-lobed; style is subbasal; stigma is bilobed.
Nutlets are subspheroidal (subglobular), grayish-brown or brown, 1–1.3 mm in diameter, reticulate; fruiting calyx is ~10 mm long. Flowering period: June–August; fruiting period: July–September.
Ecological Environment:Perilla frutescens grows in mountainous areas, along roadsides, at village edges, or in wastelands; it is also cultivated.
Characteristics of the Herb: The stem is quadrangular or rectangular (square-columnar), with blunt ridges of unequal length, 0.5–1.5 cm in diameter. Surface is purple-brown or dark purple, bearing longitudinal grooves and fine longitudinal lines on all four sides; nodes are slightly enlarged; opposite branch scars and leaf scars are present. Herb is lightweight; texture is hard and brittle; fracture is splintery. Slices are 2–5 mm thick, often obliquely rectangular; xylem (wood portion) is yellowish-white with fine, dense radial rays; pith is white, loose, or separated from the xylem to form a hollow cavity. Odor is slight and fragrant; taste is mild.
Medicinal Efficacy: Regulate Qi and relieve obstruction, alleviate depression, relieve pain, prevent miscarriage, and harmonize the blood. It is indicated for chest and diaphragmatic distension, epigastric fullness and distention, epigastric pain, spleen- and stomach-Qi stagnation, belching and vomiting, Qi stagnation, food retention (or indigestion), edema, beriberi, hemoptysis and epistaxis (hemorrhage from the lungs, nose, or other orifices—including subcutaneous bleeding), and threatened abortion.
Administration of Caulis Perillae (Zǐ Sū Gěng):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Caulis Perillae (Zǐ Sū Gěng)
TCM Books:
(1).Internally: 5–9 grams; (2).Internally: water decoction, 1.5–3 qián (≈4.5–9 grams); (3).Internally: water decoction, 5–10 grams; or prepared as a powder.
(2) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. purpurascens (Hayata) H. W. Li.
Botanical Description: This variety is also known as wild perilla. It differs from P. frutescens in the following features: the fruiting calyx is smaller (4–5.5 mm long), sparsely pilose on the abaxial surface with glandular dots; stems are pubescent; leaves are smaller, ovate, 4.5–7.5 cm long and 2.8–5 cm wide, sparsely pilose on both surfaces. Nutlets are smaller, khaki-colored, 1–1.5 mm in diameter. Flowering period: June–August; fruiting period: July–September.
Characteristics of the Herb: The stem surface is light yellowish-brown. Other morphological features are identical to those of Perilla frutescens.
✵The article records the herb Perilla Stem, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical sources—two plant species: (1) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton and (2) Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. purpurascens (Hayata) H. W. Li—with a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these two species; the morphological features of the herb Perilla Stem; its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin name: Zǐ Sū Gěng
Botanical Description: Also known as Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton var. crispa (Thunb.) Hand.-Mazz. Annual herb, growing up to 30–200 cm tall, with a distinctive fragrance. Stems are erect, much-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 is acuminate or tapering, sometimes shortly caudate; base is rounded or broadly cuneate; margin is coarsely serrate, occasionally with deep or shallow incisions; both surfaces are purple, or only the abaxial surface is purple; both surfaces are sparsely pubescent, denser along the veins; abaxial surface bearing minute glandular dots; lateral veins are in 7–8 pairs, lower ones are slightly convergent, obliquely ascending.
Verticillasters: two-flowered clusters grow unilaterally to form false racemes, terminal and axillary; inflorescences are densely pilose. Bracts are ovate (egg-shaped), ovate-triangular, or lanceolate, entire, ciliate, with glandular dots on the outer surface and membranous margins. Pedicels are 1–1.5 mm long, densely pilose. Calyx is campanulate, ~3 mm long, with 10 veins; outer surface is densely pilose and bearing yellow glandular dots in the lower part; apex with five teeth arranged in two lips (bilobed): 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 is internally bearing a ring of hairs, externally pubescent; upper lip is slightly concave; lower lip is three-lobed, lobes are orbicular (subrotund), middle lobe is larger. Stamens four, didynamous, inserted near the middle of the corolla tube, scarcely exserted; anthers are bilocular. Floral disc is swollen anteriorly. Pistil one; ovary is four-lobed; style is subbasal; stigma is bilobed.
Nutlets are subspheroidal (subglobular), grayish-brown or brown, 1–1.3 mm in diameter, reticulate; fruiting calyx is ~10 mm long. Flowering period: June–August; fruiting period: July–September.
Characteristics of the Herb: The stem is quadrangular or rectangular (square-columnar), with blunt ridges of unequal length, 0.5–1.5 cm in diameter. Surface is purple-brown or dark purple, bearing longitudinal grooves and fine longitudinal lines on all four sides; nodes are slightly enlarged; opposite branch scars and leaf scars are present. Herb is lightweight; texture is hard and brittle; fracture is splintery. Slices are 2–5 mm thick, often obliquely rectangular; xylem (wood portion) is yellowish-white with fine, dense radial rays; pith is white, loose, or separated from the xylem to form a hollow cavity. Odor is slight and fragrant; taste is mild.
Botanical Description: This variety is also known as wild perilla. It differs from P. frutescens in the following features: the fruiting calyx is smaller (4–5.5 mm long), sparsely pilose on the abaxial surface with glandular dots; stems are pubescent; leaves are smaller, ovate, 4.5–7.5 cm long and 2.8–5 cm wide, sparsely pilose on both surfaces. Nutlets are smaller, khaki-colored, 1–1.5 mm in diameter. Flowering period: June–August; fruiting period: July–September.
Characteristics of the Herb: The stem surface is light yellowish-brown. Other morphological features are identical to those of Perilla frutescens.
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