Didancao – 地膽草 – Kudidan – Earthgallgrass

Description

Didancao – 地膽草 – Kudidan – Earthgallgrass
– English Name: Earthgallgrass, Scabrous Elephantfoot
– Latin name: Elephantopus scaber Linn.
– Family & Genus: Asteraceae, Elephantopus
– Part Used Medical part: whole plant. Kudidan.

• • Description: Perennial herb, 30-60cm high. Recumbent or obliquely ascending rhizome; Stem upright, dichotomous, thick and strong, covered with white thick hard hairs, single leaf, mostly basal, long circular lanceolate, spatulate or long circular spatulate, 5-18cm long, 2-4cm wide, anteriorly blunt and round, basal part gradually narrowed, margin with round dentated sawtooth, both sides covered with white long thick hairs, hairs along vein and leaf margin on lower surface comparatively dense; stem leaves few and small. Capitulum, mostly aggregated into compound capitulum, generally embraced by 3 pieces of ovate to long circular ovate, 1-1.5cm long lobate bract; phyllary 8; each capitulum with about 4 flowerlets, all bisexual flowers, corolla tubular, light purple, anteriorly 4 lobed. Achene, middle and upper parts thin and long, basal part broad; carinal, covered with white soft hairs, with long hard stings; pappus 1 layered, greyish white. Flowering: July -November, fruiting: November to February of the following year.
  • Distribution: Growing on hill-slopes, roadsides, in thin forests of valleys.
  • Harvest & Processing: Harvested in late summer, washed, used fresh or sundried.
  • Chemistry: Whole plant contains epifriedelinol, lupeol, lactone deoxyelephan-topin and elephantopin, etc.
  • Pharmacology: Anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumors.
    Properties: Bitter, pungent, cold.
  • Actions: Clearing heat and cooling blood, detoxicating and disinhibiting dampness.
  • Indications & Usage: Common cold, whooping cough, tonsillitis, laryngopharyngitis, conjunctivitis, jaundice, edema due to nephritis, irregular menstrual periods, leucorrhea, sores and furuncles, eczema, bites by snakes and insects.Oral administration: decocting, 6-15g, fresh products 30-60g; or smashed to extract juice. External application: appropriate amount, smashed for application; or decocted for fumigating and washing.
  • Examples
    1. Jaundice: scabrous elephantfoot herb with root and leaves, wash clean, 120-180g. Stew with pork and eat, take consecutively for 4-5 days.
    2. Malaria: whole herb of earthgallgrass 15g, radermachera igneum bark 30g. Decoct in water and swallow.

Didancao – 地膽草 – Kudidan – Earthgallgrass
– 中文名稱: 地膽草，草鞋底，苦地膽，土蒲公英，地膽頭，磨地膽，鹿耳草
– 漢語拼音: Didancao
– 英文名稱: Earthgallgrass, Scabrous Elephantfoot
– 拉丁學名: Elephantopus scaber Linn.
– 科屬歸類: 菊科 Asteraceae， 地膽草屬 Elephantopus
– 藥用部位: 以全草入藥。中藥名: 苦地膽。

• • 植物形態: 多年生草本，高30-60厘米。平臥或斜升的根狀莖；莖直立，二歧分枝，粗壯，被白色粗硬毛。單葉，大都基生，長園狀披針形、匙形或長圓狀匙形，長5-18厘米，寬達2-4厘米，前端鈍圓，基部漸狹，邊緣有圓齒狀鋸齒，兩面被白色長粗毛，下麵沿脈及葉緣的毛較密；莖生葉少而小。頭狀花序，多數密集成復頭狀花序，通常被3枚卵形至長圓形卵形、長1-1.5厘米的葉狀苞片所包圍；縂苞片8枚；每個頭狀花序約有小花4朵，全為兩性花，花冠筒狀，淡紫色，前端4裂。瘦果，中上部細長，基部寬闊；有棱，被白色柔毛，具長硬刺毛；冠毛1層，灰白色。花期7-11月，果期11月至次年2月。
  • 生境分佈: 生於山坡、路旁、山谷疏林中。
  • 藥用部位: 以全草入藥。中藥名: 苦地膽。
  • 採收加工: 夏末採收，洗淨，鮮用或曬乾。
  • 主要成分: 全草含有表無羈萜醇(epifriedelinol)，羽扇豆醇(lupeol)，去氧地膽草內酯(deoxyelephan-topin)，地膽草內酯(elephantopin)等成分。
  • 藥理作用: 抗菌，抗炎，抗腫瘤。
  • 性味功能: 苦、辛，寒。清熱涼血，解毒利濕。
  • 主治用法: 感冒，百日咳，扁桃體炎，咽喉炎，眼結膜炎，黃疸，腎炎水腫，月經不調，白帶，瘡癤，濕疹，蟲蛇咬傷。內服: 煎湯，6-15克，鮮品30-60克；或搗汁。外用: 適量，搗敷；或煎水熏洗。
  • 應用舉例
    1. 陽黃疸: 地膽頭連根葉洗淨，鮮者120-180克。煮豬肉食，連服4-5天。(嶺南草藥志)
    2. 瘧疾: 地膽草全草15克，火燒花樹皮30克。水煎服。(中國民族葯志)