Farmland weed with half-flowers was once hated by farmers, now 38 yuan per jin and a rare commodity

Friends who live in rural areas are used to seeing wild grasses, and many wild grasses are commonly used by farmers in their daily lives, such as Houttuynia cordata, Plantago asiatica, dandelion, etc. They can be eaten as wild vegetables and also used as herbal medicine to treat illnesses. However, besides these commonly used wild grasses, there are actually many useful wild grasses in rural fields, but many of them are often ignored by farmers or treated as harmful weeds and removed because of where they grow. Below, the author introduces one such plant, which was once treated as a harmful weed but is now a rare commodity.

Whenever spring arrives, all kinds of wild grasses grow abundantly in rural fields, and along the edges of farmland and field ridges, this kind of wild grass also grows. It looks somewhat like Eclipta prostrata, but when it blooms, you will find that its flower has only half a side, which is very peculiar. This wild grass is "banbianlian" (Lobelia chinensis). Banbianlian is actually a relatively common wild grass along rural field edges in China, but many farmers do not recognize it. As for the reason, the author also asked quite a few farming friends, and most said banbianlian is a harmful weed, and they could not be bothered to recognize it.

The main reason banbianlian is regarded as a harmful weed by farming friends is that, like other harmful weeds, it likes to grow on farmland and field ridges, and often grows in a large patch once it appears. For farmers, farmland is their lifeblood. When banbianlian grows along the edges of farmland, it will more or less have a certain impact on the growth of crops, so farmers naturally regard banbianlian as a harmful weed. Therefore, in the past, banbianlian also made many farming friends dislike it, and they removed it as soon as they saw it to prevent harm to crops.

In fact, although banbianlian growing along the edges of farmland does have a slight impact on crops, it still has great value. Since ancient times, banbianlian has been a traditional folk herbal medicine. In ancient times, banbianlian was also called banbianhua, Sheshecao, Jijiesuo, etc. According to "Chinese Materia Medica," the whole plant of banbianlian can be used as medicine, with effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting urination and reducing swelling. It can be used to treat venomous snake bites, carbuncles, boils, tonsillitis, warm eczema, tinea pedis, traumatic injuries, damp-heat jaundice, appendicitis, enteritis, nephritis, and many other conditions.

It is precisely because banbianlian has these effects that although many farming friends dislike it, many farming friends still like it. According to what the author has learned, the price of banbianlian rose from 8 yuan per jin in 2009 to 38 yuan per jin now, which can also be considered a rare commodity.

The author reminds: banbianlian is a wild medicinal material, and its yield is greatly affected by the natural environment. In recent years, with economic development, its growing areas have been damaged, directly affecting the yield of banbianlian. Therefore, the author thinks that although banbianlian is very profitable, it should still not be dug up at will, to avoid damaging the ecological environment.

Dear friends, do you know about banbianlian? Welcome to leave a message and share your thoughts!