Brocade lantern

Chinese Name: brocade lantern

[category]: fruits

[English name]: Franchet groundcherry calyxor eruit

[alias]: Hang golden lantern, lantern fruit, red lantern.

[source]: Physalis alkekengi from Solanaceae PhysalisalkekengiL.var.franchetii (mast.) persistent calyx of Makino or persistent calyx with fruit.

[harvesting]: the fruits are harvested in autumn when they are mature and the persistent calyx is red or orange red, and then dried.

[nature and taste]: the persistent calyx is slightly lantern shaped, mostly compressed, 3-4.5cm long and 2.5-4cm wide. The surface is orange red or orange yellow, with 5 obvious longitudinal ridges and reticulate veinlets between them. Apex acuminate, base slightly truncate, central depression fruiting pedicel. It is light, pliable, hollow, with brownish red or orange red fruits. The fruit is spherical, mostly flattened, with a diameter of 1-5cm. The pericarp shrinks and contains most seeds. The persistent calyx tastes bitter, and the fruit tastes sweet and slightly acidic. It is cold in nature and bitter in taste.

[plant morphology]: annual herb, densely pubescent, 25-60cm high. The stem is much branched. Leaves alternate, ovate to ovate heart-shaped, 4-8 cm long. The width is 2-6cm, and the margin has unequal serrations. Flowers solitary in leaf axils; calyx campanulate, 5-lobed; corolla campanulate, pale yellow, 6-10 mm in diameter, 5-lobed, with purple stripes at the base of lobes; stamens 5, anthers yellow; ovary 2-locular. Berry globose, green, ca. 1.2cm in diameter, surrounded by an inflated green persistent calyx; persistent calyx ovate or broadly ovate.

[growing place]: it is distributed in most parts of China.

[chemical composition]: the berry contains physanol A and B; the seed contains graministerol, obtusifoliol, cycloartanol, cycloartanol, etc.

Bitter and cold. Return to lung meridian.

Indications: clearing away heat and toxin, promoting diuresis, resolving phlegm. For sore throat, hoarse voice, phlegm heat cough, adverse urination; external treatment of pemphigus, eczema.

This product is commonly used in the treatment of sore throat. For sore throat, lung heat cough.

[usage and dosage] 5-9g; external application of appropriate amount, tamping on the affected area.

[storage] store in a well ventilated and dry place to prevent moths.