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Hedyotis auricularia Linn.
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English Name |
Auricular Hedyotis, |
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Latin name |
Hedyotis auricularia Linn. |
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Family & Genus |
Rubiaceae, Hedyotis |
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Description |
Perennial herb, 30-100cm tall. Stem upright or recumbent, branchlet densely covered by short coarse hairs, nearly 4 angled before matured, cylindrical elderly, node usually rooted, Leaf opposite; petiole 2.7mm long, stipule membranous, covered by hairs, accrete, being a short sheath, tip 5-7 lobed, hard hair like; lamina nearly coriaceous, lanceolate or elliptic, 3-8cm long, 1-2.5cm wide, tip suddenly sharpen or gradually sharpen, basal part wedge shaped or slightly extending downward, upper surface smooth or coarse, lower surface usually covered by powder like short hairs, lateral vein 4-6 pairs. Cyme densely arranged, being head shaped, axillary; without common peduncle; bract lanceolate, tiny; flower 4, nearly sessile; calyx tube 1mm long, covered by hairs, lobe lanceolate, 1-1.2mm long; corolla white, 2.5-3mm long, lobe 1.5-1.8mm long, broadly extending; stamen grown in the laryngeal part of corolla tube, anther extending out; stigma with 2 lobes. Capsule spherical, 1.2-1.5mm in diameter, not divided when matured. Seed 2-6 in each ventricle, seed coat with small sinus. Flowering in late spring and early summer. |
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Distribution |
Growing on grasslands, forest edge and in thickets. Distributed in South and Southwest China. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Fujian and Guizhou. |
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Part Used |
Medical part: entire plant. Chinese name: Ercao. |
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Harvest & Processing |
Collected in summer, used fresh or sundried. |
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Chemistry |
Entire plant β-sitostero1, hydrocar-bon and auricularine. |
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Properties & Actions |
Bitter, cool.Clearing heat, detoxifying, cooling blood and dispersing swelling. |
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Indications & Usage |
Cold and pyrexia, coughing with lung heat, swelling pain in the throat, enteritis, dysentery, piles and hemorrhage, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, venomous snake bites, mastitis, anthracia, furuncles and swelling toxicity, eczema, injuries from falls.Oral administration: decocting, 10-15g. External application: appropriate amount, triturated for application; or prepared decoction for washing. |
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