Milk Berry

Milk Berry

(commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in Sichuan)

[synonym] milk seed (Emei medicinal plant), big mountain loquat, big turtle dove edible seed (Sichuan commonly used Chinese herbal medicine).

[source] it is the fruit of Ficus heterophylla.

[plant morphology] Ficus heterophylla

Deciduous shrubs or small trees, up to 8-15m (shrubs 2-6m high). Bark reddish brown or grayish brown; branchlets smooth or with rust colored bristles; twigs with white milk. The leaves are lanceolate, oblong, obovate or harp shaped, 6-20 cm long and 3-8 cm wide, apex acuminate to long tail, entire, occasionally 3-lobed, rough on both sides, sometimes sparsely short setae; the veins are purple, with basal three veins. The inflorescence is axillary, sessile, globose, 6-8 mm in diameter; the flower is very small, with 5 perianth segments and 3 stamens. Cryptocarpus globose or ovate, red, smooth, apex convex, purple or purple black.

It grows in the shade under the forest in low mountain area. Distribution in southwest, South China, East China and Hubei, Hunan, Henan and other places.

[collection] harvest in autumn.

[nature and taste] Sichuan common Chinese herbal medicine: "sweet and sour, warm. "

[function indications] common Chinese herbal medicine in Sichuan: "tonifying blood and removing milk. Treatment of spleen and stomach weakness, lack of milk. "

[usage and dosage] oral: stewed meat, 1-2 Liang (0.5-1 Jin fresh).