Chinese Cabbage

Chinese Cabbage

(selected Chinese herbal medicines in Yunnan)

[synonym] shitoucai (Yunnan herbal medicine selection), menting (Zhuang name).

[source] it is the whole plant of Gesneriaceae.

[plant morphology] Gesneriaceae sinensis

Herbs perennial, ca. 26 cm tall. Rhizome is short and thick, columnar, dark brown, with very dense ring. The leaf blade is hard papery, ovoid to oblong, 3-7 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm wide, apex acute, base broadly cuneate to obliquely cordate, dark green above, light brown below, densely hairy, margin with shallow teeth; petiole 2.5-5.5 cm long. Cymes axillary; large bracts with late abscission at base; scape ca. 11 cm; Flowers Lavender. Campanulate, 5-lobed. Capsule narrowly cylindrical, ca. 2 cm long. It blooms in summer.

It grows under the forest and in the stone crevices on the hillside. It is distributed in Yunnan, Guangxi and other places.

[collection] it can be collected all year round, washed, used fresh or dried.

Bitter and cool.

Functions and indications: expelling wind, clearing heat, cooling blood and stopping dysentery

[prescription selection] ① for dysentery and asthma: one to three yuan of shiqingcai, fried.

② Treatment of urticaria: appropriate amount of fresh green vegetables, fried water to wash the affected area. (the nature and taste are listed in the selection of Yunnan Chinese herbal medicine)

③ Treatment of traumatic bleeding: apply the dry powder of shiqingcai to the wound. (Wenshan Chinese herbal medicine)