Toadflax

Chinese name: Toadflax

The original plant, toadflax, is a perennial herb, 50-100 cm tall, with a slender, yellow-white main root. The stem is erect, much branched above, smooth and hairless. Leaves are simple and alternate, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 3-8 cm long, 2-4 mm wide, apex gradually pointed, base gradually narrowed and decurrent, sessile, entire, hairless. The flowers are rather dense, arranged in a raceme at the top of the stem, with lanceolate bracts; the calyx is divided almost to the base, its lobes broadly lanceolate, about 3 mm long; the corolla is pale yellow, two-lipped, the corolla tube 8-10 mm long, with a long spur at the base, 5-9 mm long, the upper lip erect, 2-lobed, the lower lip 3-lobed, the middle lobe raised toward the upper lip and enlarged, the throat appendage situated on the lower lip, orange-yellow, bearded; stamens 4, 2 long and 2 short, the front pair longer, not exserted, anther cells separate, parallel, diverging after dehiscence; style 1, linear, stigma minute. Capsule ovoid or spherical, about 2 mm in diameter, dehiscent, seeds numerous, minute. Flowering period June to September, fruiting period August to October.

It grows on hillside grassland, sandy ground, riversides or semi-mobile sand dunes. It is distributed in the provinces and regions north of the Yangtze River basin; it is often cultivated in gardens in various places.

Harvesting and processing: collect the whole plant when it flowers in summer, and dry it in the sun.

Medicinal properties: the dried whole plant of this product is 30-80 cm long, the stem cylindrical, gray-green, hairless, the cross-section gray-white. The leaves are mostly shrunken and easily broken; when flattened, the intact leaves are lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 3-8 cm long, entire, with pinnate veins, hairless. The flowers are arranged in a narrow raceme at the top of the stem, mostly scattered, the corolla yellow-white, two-lipped, the upper lip 2-lobed, the lower lip 3-lobed, the throat appendage orange-yellow, bearded; the calyx lobes are divided almost to the base, the lobes broadly acicular, hairless. Ovoid capsules are sometimes visible. Slight odor, bitter taste. The best quality is the dried whole plant, green in color, with flowers.

Nature, flavor and functions: sweet, slightly bitter, cold. Clears heat and detoxifies, dissipates blood stasis and reduces swelling, promotes diuresis. Used for jaundice, headache, dizziness, hemorrhoids and constipation, skin diseases, and burns and scalds. Usual dosage 3-9 g. Decoct in water for internal use; for external use, grind into powder and apply topically, or use as a fumigant wash.

Functions: clears heat and detoxifies, dissipates blood stasis and reduces swelling, promotes diuresis. Used for jaundice, headache, dizziness, hemorrhoids and constipation, skin diseases, and burns and scalds. Usual dosage 3-9 g. Decoct in water for internal use; for external use, grind into powder and apply topically, or use as a fumigant wash.

Nature and flavor: sweet, slightly bitter, cold