What are the effects and functions of the four o'clock flower?

The four o'clock flower, also known as yanzhihua, fendouhua, wild clove, and zhuangyuanhua, is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Mirabilis in the family Nyctaginaceae. Its roots and leaves can be used medicinally, having the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, invigorating blood and regulating menstruation, and nourishing the body. It has therapeutic effects on conditions such as strangury with turbid urine, leukorrhea, hemoptysis from pulmonary tuberculosis, deep-rooted carbuncles and back sores, and acute arthritis. Let us take a look at the effects and functions of the four o'clock flower together below!

Medicinal Value of the Four O'Clock Flower

[Nature and Flavor] Sweet and bitter in flavor, neutral in nature.

[Meridians Entered] Lung and Stomach meridians.

[Effects] Promotes urination, purges heat, invigorates blood and dissipates blood stasis. Mainly treats strangury with turbid urine, leukorrhea, hemoptysis from pulmonary tuberculosis, deep-rooted carbuncles and back sores, and acute arthritis.

Medicinal Effects of the Four O'Clock Flower

1. "Gangmu Shiyi" (Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica): Dispels wind, invigorates blood. Treats breast abscess and white turbid urine.

2. "Guizhou Folk Prescriptions and Remedies": Treats abnormal uterine bleeding, leukorrhea, furuncles, injuries, and bone-setting in women.

3. "Nanning City Materia Medica": Reduces fever, mildly purges, breaks blood stasis, regulates menstruation. Treats hemoptysis from pulmonary tuberculosis.

4. "Sichuan Materia Medica": Treats emaciation from overexertion, dizziness and blurred vision, five types of strangury, and abnormal uterine bleeding and leukorrhea in women.

Medicinal Prescriptions of the Four O'Clock Flower

1. For blood in urine: Fresh four o'clock flower flower heads 60 g, Chinese arborvitae leaves 30 g, a little rock sugar. Decoct in water, take before meals.

2. For hemoptysis: Four o'clock flower flower heads (white flowers) 120 g. Mash and extract the juice, mix with winter honey and take.

3. For leukorrhea: Four o'clock flower flower heads 30 to 60 g, Poria 9 to 15 g. Decoct in water, take before meals, twice a day (use red flowers for white leukorrhea, use white flowers for yellow leukorrhea).

4. For diabetes: Four o'clock flower flower heads 30 to 60 g, peeled, washed and sliced; pig pancreas 120 to 180 g; ginkgo kernels 14 to 28 pieces. Decoct in water for 1 hour, take before meals.

5. For breast abscess and furuncle toxin: Four o'clock flower flower heads and chrysanthemum leaves 90 g each, purslane 250 g. Mash with honey and apply externally.

6. For shingles: Four o'clock flower seed powder, small balloon vine juice, and mugwort juice, mix evenly and apply externally, 5 to 10 times daily.

7. For freckles on women's faces: Four o'clock flower seeds (starch inside the seeds), mix with well-center water and apply externally, 3 to 5 times daily.

8. For scabies: A handful of fresh four o'clock flower leaves. Wash, mash, extract the juice and apply to the affected area.

9. For strangury with turbid urine and leukorrhea: White-flowered four o'clock flower root 1 to 2 liang (peeled, washed, sliced), Poria 3 to 5 qian. Decoct in water, take before meals, twice daily.

10. For leukorrhea: White yanzhihua root 1 liang, white rose of Sharon 5 qian, white peony root 5 qian. Stew with meat and eat.

11. For abnormal uterine bleeding: Red yanzhihua root 2 liang, red cockscomb root 1 liang, touyunyao 1 liang, rabbit-ear wind 5 qian. Stew with pig trotters and eat.

12. For acute arthritis: Fresh four o'clock flower root 3 liang. Decoct in water and take; add tofu if the body is hot, add pig trotters if the body is cold.

13. For deep-rooted carbuncles and back sores: One fresh four o'clock flower root. Peel and wash, add a little brown sugar, mash together, apply to the affected area, change twice daily.