Amaranth

Amaranth

(Ben Jing)

[synonym] amaranth (medicine record by Li dangzhi) and Qingxiang amaranth (medicine record of Hunan).

[source] stems and leaves of Amaranthaceae.

Amaranth [plant morphology]

Annual herb, erect stem, few branches, green branches, 80-150 cm high. Leaves alternate; petiole 3-10 cm long; leaves rhomboid broadly ovate or triangular broadly ovate, 4-12 cm long and 3-7 cm wide, obtuse or slightly concave, base broadly cuneate, with green, red, dark purple or purple spots. Inflorescence in the lower part is spherical, the upper part is a slightly intermittent spike, yellow green flowers, unisexual, monoecious; bracts ovate, apex awned, about 4 mm long, membranous; sepals 3, lanceolate, membranous, apex awned, stamen 3 for male flowers, pistil 1 for female flowers, stigma 3-lobed. Utricle elliptic, sepals persistent, longer than fruit, ring dehiscent at maturity, upper part falling off as a cap. Seeds dark brown, nearly oblate, convex on both sides, smooth and glossy. The flowering period is from May to July.

It is planted all over the country.

The root (amaranth root) and seed (amaranth seed) of this plant are also used for medicine. Please refer to the special article for details.

[collection] harvest in spring and summer.

[chemical constituents] leaves contain vitamin C, tender leaves 99-121 mg%, older leaves 119-178 mg%.

Sweet and cool.

① Tao Hongjing: "lengli. "

② "Tang Materia Medica": "red amaranth: pungent, cold. "

③ Daily use materia medica: "sweet, cold, non-toxic. "

④ "Yinshan Zhengzheng": it tastes bitter, cold and nontoxic. "

Functions and indications: clearing away heat and promoting orifices. The treatment of red and white dysentery, two will not work.

① Tao Hongjing: "red amaranth: it can cure the disease. "

② "Tang Materia Medica": "amaranth: the main red dysentery, but also the main shooting sand lice. "

③ Meng Shen: "Invigorating Qi and removing heat. "

④ "Materia medica collection": "Purple amaranth: Insecticidal. "

⑤ Rihuazi materia medica: "Tongjiu orifices. "

⑥ "Ben Cao Tu Jing": "Purple amaranth: Main Qi dysentery. Amaranth: main blood dysentery. "

⑦ "Diannan Materia Medica": "it can cure constipation and defecation, remove cold and heat, dredge blood vessels and remove blood stasis. "

⑧ "Compendium": "six amaranth, and benefit the size of the intestine. It can cure dysentery and slide the fetus. "

[usage and dosage] oral administration: decocting soup, boiling porridge or mashing juice. External use: fried, washed or tamped.

[should not] the weak spleen and loose stool should be taken with caution.

① "The spleen is weak and easy to diarrhea, don't use it. Fern powder. "

② "Suixiju diet spectrum": "it should be avoided for those with swelling, sliding and diarrhea. "

[formula selection] ① red and white dysentery before and after treatment: Purple amaranth leaf (fine file) in one hand, Jimi three in one. First, fry the amaranth leaves in water, remove the dross from the juice, then cook porridge with rice, and eat it hollow. (new book of zishoucong)

② Treatment of children tight lips: red amaranth pound juice wash. (Sheng Hui Fang)

③ Cure lacquer sores and itching: wash it with amaranth decoction. (compendium)