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Table 3 A comparison of plant materials commonly used for herbal tea in Jianghua and Lingnan

From: Ethnobotanical survey of plant species for herbal tea in a Yao autonomous county (Jianghua, China): results of a 2-year study of traditional medicinal markets on the Dragon Boat Festival

 

Plant species

Jianghua

Lingnan

Consistency in efficacy

Achyranthes aspera

Heat-clearing and detoxifying, rheumatism, nourishing, relieve pain

Whole plant

Clear heat and purge fire

Root

Achyranthes bidentata

Nourishing

Root

Activate blood and remove blood stasis, nourish the liver and the kidney, strengthen bones and muscles, alleviate edema and relieve stranguria, conduct blood-fire to go downward

Root

Mahonia fortunei

Heat-clearing and detoxifying

Root, stem

Nourish yin and clear heat, warm lung and stop cough

Leaf

Lonicera confusa

Heat-clearing and detoxifying

Flower, stem, leaf

Clear heat and relieve toxicity, disperse wind

Flower, stem

Lonicera japonica

Heat-clearing and detoxifying, promote blood circulation

Stem

Clear heat and relieve toxicity, disperse wind

Flower, stem

Cirsium japonicum

Nourishing, gynaecopathia, promote blood circulation, stop bleeding, eliminating inflammation

Whole plant, root

Cool the blood and stop bleeding, eliminate toxic materials to treat carbuncle

Aerial part, root

Dendranthema morifolium

Heat-clearing and detoxifying, rheumatism, improve eyesight

Flower

Clear heat and relieve toxicity

Flower

Lophatherum gracile

Heat-clearing and detoxifying, relieve cough, induce diuresis

Root

Clear heat, sedative

Leaf, root

Juncus effusus

Heat-clearing and detoxifying, induce diuresis, respiratory disease, relieve cough

Spith

Clear away liver-heat and lower the fire

Pith

Prunella vulgaris

Improve eyesight, promote blood circulation

Fruit cluster, flower

Clear liver, purge fire, resolve knots, dissolve swelling, pacify liver and improve eyesight.

Whole plant

Gleditsia sinensis

Eliminate phlegm, induce diuresis

Pod, seed, shoot thorn

Relieve pathological heat and remove dampness through diuresis

Fruit

Anemarrhena asphodeloides

Promote digestion, gynaecopathia

Rhizome

Strengthen stomach and lung

Bulb

Ophiopogon japonicus

Nourishing

Tuber

Smooth lung and nourish yin

Root

Dendrobium nobile

Diabetes, improve eyesight, nourishing, promote digestion

Stem

Strengthen stomach and promote fluid production, nourish yin and clear heat

Stem

Plantago asiatica

Heat-clearing and detoxifying, induce diuresis, eliminating phlegm

Whole plant

Clear heat and dampness, induce diuresis

Whole plant, seed

Fagopyrum dibotrys

Heat-clearing and detoxifying, promote blood circulation, calculus

Root, rhizome

Clear heat and detoxifying

Rhizome

Artemisia argyi

Gynaecopathia

Whole plant

Stop bleeding, expel cold and alleviate pain by warming meridians

Aerial part

Inconsistency in efficacy

Fallopia multiflora

Nourishing

Tuber

Moisten intestines and relax bowls

Tuber

Parthenocissus tricuspidata

Rheumatism, promote blood circulation

Root, stem, fruit

Clear away heat and promote dieresis

Root, stem

Acorus tatarinowii

Cold

Whole plant

Eliminate dampness and stimulate appetite, regain consciousness through dispelling phlegm, induce resuscitation and strengthen intelligence

Rhizome

Trachelospermum jasminoides

Rheumatism

Whole plant

Clear heat and relieve toxicity

Aerial part

Hypericum japonicum

Heat-clearing and detoxifying, promote blood circulation, promote digestion

Whole plant

Clear liver, promote diuresis to drain dampness and relieve dyspepsia

Whole plant

Leonurus artemisia

Heat-clearing and detoxifying

Whole plant

Activate blood and dispel stasis, induce dieresis and alleviate edema

Whole plant