Lotus root

Lotus root

(Tang materia medica)

[synonym] Bai Maigen (Book of the Tang Dynasty).

[source] it is the root of the leguminous plant lotus.

[plant morphology] Lotus japonicus, also known as cornucopia (a textual research on the name of plant), is composed of DACAO, huangjinhua, wuyecao and niaozao.

Perennial herbs, 11-45 cm high. Stems tufted, sparsely villous or later glabrous. The leaflets are papery, ovate or obovate, 5-20 mm long and 3-12 mm wide, glabrous or sparsely villous on both main veins; the petioles are very short, about 1 mm long, densely yellow villous. The flower is 1-1.4 cm long; the calyx is yellowish green, nearly membranous, covered with long bristles, about 6 mm long inside and outside; the calyx teeth are 5, lanceolate, as long as or longer than the calyx; the Corolla is yellow, dry or blue-green, the flag petal is obovate, 9-13 mm long, 4-6 mm wide, with long claws, and the wing petal is longer than the keel petal Ovary sessile, style long and curved, stigma terminal. The pods are brown. Cylindric, 21-27 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, with many seeds. The flowering period is from May to July. The fruit period is from August to September.

It is distributed in Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Gansu and other places.

The whole herb and flower of this plant are also used for medicine. Please refer to the special section for details.

[nature and taste] Tang Ben Cao: "it tastes sweet and bitter, slightly cold and non-toxic. "

[function indications] Tang materia medica: "lower Qi, quench thirst, remove heat, eliminate asthenia and make up deficiency. "

[usage and dosage] oral administration: decoct soup, 3-6 yuan; soak in wine or into pill or powder.