What Diseases Can Foxtail Grass Cure? The Benefits and Symbolism of This Annual Herbaceous Plant

Friends who grew up in the countryside should be familiar with foxtail grass; it looks like a weed. Foxtail grass is also called Arhat grass, barnyard grass, and green foxtail. It is also a medicinal herb. It can be harvested in summer and autumn, washed clean, dried in the sun, and kept for later use. So what diseases can foxtail grass cure? What is it used for? What does it represent?

Foxtail grass, also known as green foxtail, is an annual herbaceous plant in the grass family, genus Setaria. Its roots are fibrous, and taller plants have prop roots. The culms are erect or bent at the base, 10-100 cm tall, with a basal diameter of up to 3-7 mm. The leaf sheaths are loose, hairless or sparsely covered with soft hairs or papillose hairs, and the margins have relatively long, densely cottony cilia; it has the effects of dispelling wind and improving vision, and clearing heat and promoting urination. It grows in wastelands and roadsides below 4000 m in altitude and is a common weed among dryland crops.

What diseases can foxtail grass cure

Traditional Chinese medicine holds that foxtail grass is sweet and neutral in nature and has the effects of clearing the liver and improving vision, promoting urination, and removing toxins. It can be used to treat conjunctivitis, reduced vision, difficult urination, and other conditions.

1. In “Compendium of Materia Medica”, Li Shizhen believed that foxtail grass could “treat wart-like growths and pierce hairs, which dry up and disappear once pierced through. For those with red eyes and ingrown eyelashes, turn over the eyelid and use one or two stems dipped in water to scrape away the diseased blood.”

2. In the “Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica”, it is also recorded that foxtail grass can “treat boils, carbuncles, and tinea. For tinea on the face, take the effective stem of the grass, knead it soft, and rub it on from time to time.”

3.“Luchuan Materia Medica” says that foxtail grass can “remove dampness, reduce swelling. Treat impetigo.”

4.“Guizhou Folk Prescription Collection”: reduce fever, treat eye diseases. Also used to treat measles (warts).

5.“Chongqing Medicinal Herbs”: treat eye diseases with tearing and clouding.

Overall, foxtail grass has the effects of clearing heat and draining dampness, clearing the liver and improving vision, and removing toxins and promoting urination. It is mainly used to treat wind-heat common cold, painful urination, red and painful eyes, red and swollen eyes, and other conditions.

What is foxtail grass used for?

1. Forage value

The stems and leaves of foxtail grass can be used as feed, and it is a plant that cattle, donkeys, horses, and sheep like to eat. In autumn, the dried grass can also be used as fuel to light fires, boil water, cook, keep warm, and spread beds. The spikelets can be used to extract furfural. The whole plant contains 2.6% crude fat, 10.27% crude protein, 34.55% nitrogen-free extract, 34.40% crude fiber, and 10.60% crude ash.  After boiling the whole plant in water for 20 minutes, the filtrate can be sprayed to kill cabbage worms.

2. Medicinal value

Clears heat and drains dampness; dispels wind and improves vision; removes toxins; kills insects. Mainly used for wind-heat common cold; jaundice; childhood malnutrition; dysentery; painful urination; red and painful eyes; red and swollen eyes; carbuncles and swelling; common warts; sores and tinea.

What does foxtail grass represent

Flower language

The flower language of foxtail grass is endurance, love that is not understood by others, difficult love, and also unrequited love. It represents being unknown and unnoticed.

Symbolism

Take three stalks of foxtail grass and braid them into a braid shape, make one strand, according to the size of the finger, then bend it into a loop and tie a knot, and put it on the finger; it represents privately pledging to marry for life