In rural areas, many plants bloom and ripen together with crops, and the seeds they produce are a real nuisance, like beggar's ticks and hound's tongue, which stick to your clothes and take forever to clean off, and some stick so tightly that they pull threads out of the fabric. This is all too common in the countryside. Today I want to introduce a plant whose value is quite precious among the people, though it is also sticky. Although it is not as sticky as beggar's ticks and hound's tongue, it is still a rather troublesome weed. When harvesting crops, its fruits often stick to your pants. It is called Xi Xian Cao (Siegesbeckia orientalis, commonly known as St. Paul's wort).

The name Xi Xian Cao may be relatively unfamiliar to many people. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. It stands out quite a bit when growing in the field, because it is not short and is easily seen. To be honest, the root system of Xi Xian Cao is not well developed, thin like whiskers, and there are few of them. The lines on the edges of the leaves are very clearly defined, looking a bit like a carved pendant, and quite distinctive when viewed separately. In summer it produces small yellow flowers one after another, and this shape is actually very similar to that of chrysanthemums. Xi Xian Cao can be found by roadsides and in cornfields in my hometown, and it prefers places with plenty of sunlight.

I only recently learned the name Xi Xian Cao. As far as I know so far, it grows most abundantly in Yunnan, Guangdong and Guizhou provinces. I remember that when I was a child, in our hometown we started picking corn after National Day, and by that time the fruits of Xi Xian Cao in the fields had also ripened. They cling to pants very easily, and if you are not careful they also stick to your hair, which is a real headache. However, apart from this small drawback, the herb itself has many uses. Xi Xian Cao has a fresh fragrance of its own and tastes a bit bitter, so it has a very good effect on itchy skin conditions. Although the villagers did not know its common name at that time, these folk methods of use were passed down in our village, and nowadays when someone in the village suffers from itchy skin, they use it by boiling it in water for washing.

The medicinal value of Xi Xian Cao

According to records, Xi Xian Cao is mainly used for: rheumatic arthralgia, weakness of the sinews and bones, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, rubella and damp sores, and other conditions. This shows how much Xi Xian Cao is used medicinally, but these are all uses by professional physicians. As ordinary folk, it is enough to know a few safe methods for external use. As for Xi Xian Cao, I wonder whether it exists in your hometown? If any reader sees this article and knows this wild grass, you are welcome to leave a comment in the comment section to share.

This article is excerpted from: Rural Plants and Trees Record. If there is any infringement, please contact us for deletion.