China Pharmacopoeia: Commelina communis
Pinyin name y ā zhí c m: o
English name Commelina communis
Alias bamboo, duck magpie grass, earring grass, broccoli, butterfly, triangle grass, clover, bamboo grass, blue bamboo grass and lophatherum gracile.
Source This product is the dried aerial part of Commelina communis collected in summer and autumn.
Features This product can be as long as 60cm, yellow-green or yellow-white, and smooth. The stem has longitudinal edges, about 0.2cm in diameter, and many branches or fibrous roots. Nodes slightly enlarged, internodes 3 ~ 9 cm long. Soft, bone marrow in the center of the section. Leaves alternate, mostly withered and broken. After flattening, the whole leaf is oval or lanceolate, 3 ~ 9 cm long and 1 ~ 2.5 cm wide. The apex is sharp, entire, and the base descends into a membranous leaf sheath, which supports the stem and the veins are parallel. Flowers fall off, involucre spatulate, heart-shaped, and both sides are not connected; Petals withered and blue. A slight breath, a faint taste.
Identification of the superficial view of the leaves of this product: there are two kinds of non-glandular hairs, both of which are 2 cells. One is a thick-walled short cone with a length of 45 ~ 60 microns. The basal cells are about 45μm in diameter and the apical cells are short and pointed. The other is rod-shaped, the basal cell is 45 ~ 60μ m long, the wall is slightly thicker, the top cell is longer, the top is blunt and round, the wall is thin, and it falls off frequently. There are many acicular crystals of calcium oxalate, which are as long as 74 μ m.
Processing to remove impurities, washing, cutting into sections, and drying in the sun.
Sexual taste is sweet, light and cold.
Meridian enters lung, stomach and small intestine.
Function: clearing away heat and toxic materials, diuresis and detumescence. Used for wind-heat cold, persistent high fever, sore throat, edema, oliguria, hot shower, carbuncle and furuncle.
Usage and dosage15 ~ 30g; 60-90g fresh products. Appropriate amount for external use.
Store in a ventilated and dry place to prevent mildew.
Remarks (1) are used for exogenous fever, persistent fever, sore throat and carbuncle. This product tastes sweet and cold, and has the effect of clearing away heat and toxic materials. Whenever exogenous fever or persistent fever occurs, it can be used as a single flavor. It can also be used with exterior-relieving drugs or heat-clearing drugs. For sore throat, it can be used with dandelion, Daphne, Achyranthes bidentata and Folium Isatidis. It can be used for treating carbuncle, swelling, sores and ulcers, and can be used together with herbs such as Herba Violae, Herba Taraxaci and Flos Chrysanthemi Indici.
(2) It can be used for dysuria, edema, wet urine entering the bladder and painful urination. This product has a good diuretic effect, and it is unfavorable to urinate when encountering edema in feng shui. It can be used with duckweed and coriander. It can be used with Pteris multifida, Herba Polygoni Avicularis and Taraxacum for those who have difficulty urinating due to damp heat in the bladder.
(3) In addition, it can also be used for snake venom bites, on the one hand, decoction, on the other hand, washing and mashing with appropriate amount of fresh grass for external application.
(4) Commelina communis, as a medicine, is good at clearing heat and promoting diuresis. According to clinical practice, after taking this product, the high fever gradually subsides and the urine volume increases, but the body temperature will rise again after stopping taking it. Therefore, if this product is used alone, it seems that the detoxification effect is not strong, and it should be compatible with other heat-clearing and detoxification drugs in clinical use.
(5) Commelina communis and Lophatherum lophatherum have similar effects of clearing heat and promoting diuresis, but Commelina communis has a stronger effect.
Excerpt from China Pharmacopoeia