Fenugreek

Fenugreek

SemenTrigonellae

Common fenugreekseed

[alias] bitter bean, vanilla.

[source] the seeds of Trigonella foenum graecuml.

[plant morphology] annual herb, 20-80cm high, with aroma throughout the plant. Stem erect, tufted, sparsely hairy. The leaflets are long ovate or ovate lanceolate, 1-3.5cm long and 0.5-1.5cm wide, with sparse pubescence on both sides; the petioles are long, and the stipules are connected with the petioles. Flowers sessile, 1-2 axillary; calyx tube shaped; corolla butterfly shaped, white, then gradually yellowish, base with purple; stamen 10, two body; ovary linear, pod slender, oblate tube shaped, slightly curved, 6-11cm long, 0.5cm wide, reticulate vein and pilose, apex with long beak. 10-20 seeds, brown and fragrant. The flowering period is from April to June and the fruiting period is from July to August.

More cultivation. It is mainly produced in Anhui, Sichuan and Henan.

[harvest] when the fruit is ripe, cut the whole grass, lay the seeds and dry them in the sun. Raw or slightly fried.

[character] the seed is slightly inclined square, 3-5mm long, 2-3mm wide and 2mm thick. The surface is yellowish brown or reddish brown with short gray hairs. There is a deep oblique groove on both sides. The hilum is at the junction of the two grooves. It's hard. It is fragrant and slightly bitter.

[chemical constituents] it contains trigonelline, diosgenin-b-d-glucoside, Vitexin, saponaretin, isoorientin, vitexin-7-glucoside, cucurbitacin I and vitenin I.

[nature and taste] it is warm in nature and bitter in taste.

[indications] warming kidney, dispelling cold and relieving pain. It is used for kidney deficiency cold, abdominal cold pain, small intestinal hernia, cold wet beriberi.