Rhizoma Matteucciae

Rhizoma Matteuccia struthiopteris

Ostrich featherfernrhizome

[alias] pheasant arm, small leaf Guanzhong.

[source] the rhizome and petiole base of Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro.

[plant morphology] perennial herb, up to LM. The vegetative leaves are round and oblanceolate, 45-90cm long and 14-25cm wide, with more than 10 pairs of pinnae in the lower part, gradually narrowing down to ear shape and short petiole; the sporophyll is short, and the petiole is long, once pinnate, and the pinnae are rolled down to pod shape, covering the sporangia.

It grows under the forest or in the valley. Produced in Northeast, North China and Shaanxi, Sichuan, Tibet.

[harvesting] harvest in spring and autumn, cut off the aboveground parts and dry in the sun.

[character] the product is round spindle shaped or skew oval, 10-15cm long, 6.5-8cm in diameter, densely distributed at the base of petiole, with yellowish brown membranous scales at the top. The base of petiole is oblate, triangular, broad at the top and thin at the bottom, curved inward; the surface is dark brown, slightly glossy, with 5-6 longitudinal edges on the back, 1 obvious uplift in the middle, 1-2 bird like wrinkles on the upper end, and longitudinal edges on the ventral surface; the petiole is hard, with black outer skin on the cross section, light brown inner surface, 2 linear vascular bundles, arranged in an octagonal shape. The base of rhizome is exserted. The taste is slightly astringent.

[chemical constituents] it contains hydroxy ecdysterone and fatty acids, mainly arachidonic acid.

[flavor] slightly cold in nature and bitter in taste.

[indications] clearing away heat and toxin, killing insects and hemostasis. It is used for Enterobius vermicularis, abdominal pain, dysentery, hematochezia, uterine bleeding, damp heat swelling and pain.