The wild grass in wheat fields that looks like little sausages can treat athlete's foot, yet farmers cut it down on sight

Warm reminder

Hemu Report aims to share and popularize information about various plants and their uses, for reference only. If medicinal use is needed, it is recommended to consult a professional physician to avoid problems!

In rural wild areas, the most abundant things are not the crops in the fields, nor the fruit trees in the orchards, but the various wild grasses growing in the rural wild. Farmers are no strangers to these wild grasses, and many of them are also favorites among farmers, especially wild grasses like houttuynia cordata and dandelion that can be eaten as wild vegetables and also used as herbal medicine to treat illnesses, which are even more popular among farmers. However, many wild grasses are also too ordinary to be valued by people, and many people do not even know their names. Below, the author will introduce a kind of wild grass in wheat fields.

Whenever spring arrives, a kind of wild grass grows in the wheat fields, and its fruit looks like a "little sausage." This wild grass is "kanmainiang" (shortawn foxtail, Alopecurus aequalis). This wild grass is very common in rural areas, but despite being seen everywhere, most people still cannot call it by name, and even if they can, it is only a regional local name, and people elsewhere may not necessarily know it. In the author's hometown, it is called "shan gaoliang."

The author remembers an old farmer in the village saying that the fruit of shortawn foxtail, which looks like a "little sausage," is actually very similar to wheat, hence its name. But although the name shortawn foxtail sounds nice, it is indeed a harmful grass in wheat fields and farmland that farmers greatly dislike.

According to the old farmer, shortawn foxtail likes to grow most in fields of wheat, rapeseed, green manure and other crops, and its reproductive capacity is very strong. Often a single shortawn foxtail plant can propagate into a large patch, thus causing serious harm to wheat and other crops. Therefore, many farmers hate it deeply and often cut it down as soon as they see it, lest it reproduce too quickly and affect the growth of crops.

Although shortawn foxtail is considered a "malignant weed" in wheat fields and other crop fields, it is not entirely useless. In fact, shortawn foxtail has good uses. First, shortawn foxtail is a very good forage grass. It has moderate grass yield, abundant leaves, good grass quality, and relatively high protein content, and horses, cattle and sheep like to eat it.

Second, shortawn foxtail is also a traditional Chinese herbal medicine among the people. According to records, the whole plant of shortawn foxtail can be used as medicine. It is mild in taste and neutral in nature. As medicine, it has the effects of draining dampness and reducing swelling, and detoxifying, and can be used to treat edema, chickenpox, diarrhea in children, indigestion, athlete's foot and many other conditions.

A few days ago, when the author was helping in the field to remove it, an old farmer in the village told the author that shortawn foxtail is quite effective for treating athlete's foot. Wash the whole plant of shortawn foxtail clean, then boil it in water, and use the boiled water to wash the feet. Because shortawn foxtail has a dampness-removing effect, it can very well remove the dampness on sweaty feet, thereby achieving the effect of treating athlete's foot.

Dear friends, do you know about shortawn foxtail? You are welcome to leave a message and exchange views.

Text/Hemu Report, images/Internet

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