Wild amaranth is a delicious green wild vegetable with the effect of clearing away heat, detoxification and diuresis.

Wild amaranth

Wild amaranth, the name of traditional Chinese medicine. It is the whole grass or root of amaranth Amaranthuslividus and Amaranthusretroflexus. The concave amaranth is distributed all over the country, and the reverse amaranth is distributed in the northeast, north China, northwest and Shandong, Taiwan, Henan and other places. It has the effect of clearing heat and detoxification and diuresis. For dysentery, diarrhea, sores, snake bites, bee stings, adverse urination, edema.

Medicine site

Whole grass or root.

Sexual taste

The taste is sweet and the sex is slightly cold.

Channel tropism

Meridian of large intestine and small intestine.

Efficacy

Clearing heat and detoxification, diuresis.

Main treatment

For dysentery, diarrhea, sores, snake bites, bee stings, adverse urination, edema.

Related compatibility

1. Treatment of dysentery: 30g of amaranth and 15g of plantain seed. Pan-fried suit. (Henan Chinese Herbal Medicine)

2. Treatment of hemorrhoid swelling and pain: fresh wild amaranth root 30-60g, pig large intestine 1 segment. Fry in water and take it before meals.

3. Treat snakehead furuncle: mash and apply fresh amaranth leaves and salt to the affected area. (prescription 2-3 comes from Fujian Chinese Herbal Medicine.)

Usage and dosage

Internal administration: fried soup, 9-30g; tamper with sauce. External use: appropriate amount, tamping.

Attention to use

Qi deficiency, cold and damp dysentery for a long time should not be taken.

Collection and processing

Harvested in spring, summer and autumn, washed and used fresh.

Morphological characteristics

1, concave amaranth, annual herbs, 10-30 cm tall, all glabrous; stems lying and ascending, branched from base, light green or purplish red.

Leaf blade ovate or rhombic-ovate, 1.5-4.5 cm long and 1-3 cm wide, apical emarginate, with 1 Awned tip, or minutely obscure, base broadly cuneate, entire or slightly undulate; petiole 1-3.5 cm long.

Flowers in axillary clusters until axils of lower leaves, erect spikes or panicles at stem and branch ends; bracts and bracteoles moments orbicular, less than 1 mm long; perianth moments orbicular or lanceolate, 1.2-1.5 mm long, light green, apex acute, margin involute, dorsal with a raised midvein; stamens slightly shorter than perianth segments; stigmas 3 or 2, fruit deciduous when ripe.

Utricle flattened-ovate, 3 mm long, indehiscent, wrinkled and nearly smooth, beyond persistent perianth segments. Seeds annular, ca. 12 mm in diam., black to dark brown, margin annular. The flowering period is from July to August and the fruiting period is from August to September.

2. Anti-amaranth, also known as Xifeng Gu, red amaranth. Herbs annual, 20-80 cm tall, sometimes to more than 1 m; stems erect, stout, simple or branched, light green, sometimes with purplish stripes, slightly obtuse, densely pubescent.

Leaf blade rhombic-ovate or elliptic-ovate, 5-12 cm long and 2-5 cm wide, apex acute or concave, with small protuberance, base cuneate, entire or undulate margin, pilose on both surfaces and margin, densely hairy below; petiole 1.5-5.5 cm long, light green, sometimes lavender, pilose.

Inflorescences terminal and axillary, erect, 2-4 cm in diam., formed by most spikes, terminal spikes longer than lateral ones; bracts and bracteoles subulate, 4-6 mm long, white, with 1 keel protruding abaxially, protruding into a white pointed awn; perianth rectangular orbicular-Obovate, 2-2.5 mm long, membranous, white, with a light green midvein, apex acute or acutely concave, with protuberance. Stamens slightly longer than perianth segments; stigmas 3, sometimes 2.

Utricle flattened-ovate, ca. 1.5 mm, annular transverse, membranous, light green, wrapped in persistent perianth segments. Seeds subglobose, 1 mm in diam., brown or black, margin obtuse. The flowering period is from July to August and the fruiting period is from August to September.

Growing environment

1. Concave amaranth is born in gardens, roadsides and other places. Distributed all over the country.

2. Born in the wilderness, in the field or in the grass near the cottage. Distributed in Northeast, North China, Northwest and Shandong, Taiwan, Henan and other places.

Properties of medicinal materials

1, concave amaranth, the main root is straight. The stem is 10-30cm long, branched basally, light green to dark purple. Leaf blade wrinkled, flattened ovate or rhomboid-ovate, 1. 5-4.5cm long, 1-3cm wide, apex emarginate, with 1 Awned tip, or obscure, base broadly cuneate; petiole nearly as long as leaf blade. Spikes. Utricle flattened-ovate, indehiscent, subsmooth. The breath is light and the taste is light.

2. Amaranthus retroflexus, the main root is straight. Stem 20-80cm long, slightly obtusely ribbed, pubescent. Leaf blade wrinkled, flattened, rhombic-ovate or elliptic, 5-12cm long, 2-5cm wide, apex slightly convex, with a small convex tip, pilose on both sides and margin; petiole 1.5-5.5cm long. Panicles. Utricle flattened-ovate, lid lobed. The air emblem tastes light.