Pinyin: Baihuasheshecao
Aliases
She She Cao, Jie Jie Jie Rui Cao, She Zhen Cao.
Source
Rubiaceae plant Hedyotis diffusaHedyotis diffusaThe dried whole herb of *Wikstroemia indica* (L.) C.A. Mey.
Botanical Description
Annual spreading herb, 15-50 cm tall. Roots slender, branched, white. Stems slightly quadrangular or compressed-cylindrical, glabrous (hairless), with multiple branches from the base. Leaves opposite, sessile; blades linear to linear-lanceolate, 1-3.5 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, apex acute, upper surface smooth, lower surface sometimes slightly rough, lateral veins inconspicuous; stipules membranous, base connate into a sheath-like structure, 1-2 mm long, apex awned. Flowers solitary or paired in leaf axils, often with short, slightly thick pedicels, rarely sessile; calyx tube globose, 4-lobed, lobes oblong-lanceolate, 1.5-2 mm long, margin ciliate; corolla white, funnelform, 3.5-4 mm long, apex 4-lobed, lobes ovate-oblong, about 2 mm long, glabrous; stamens 4, inserted at the throat of the corolla tube, alternate with corolla lobes, filaments flat, anthers ovoid, dorsifixed, 2-celled, dehiscing longitudinally; ovary inferior, 2-celled. Stigma 2-lobed, hemispherical. Capsule compressed-globose, 2-2.5 mm in diameter, loculicidal, calyx persistent. Seeds brownish-yellow, minute, with 3 angles. Flowering July to September, fruiting August to October.
Habitat and Distribution
Grows in moist areas near fields, ditches, roadsides, and grasslands. Distributed from the southeast to the southwest regions of China.
Harvesting and Processing
Collected in summer and autumn, wash clean, use fresh or dry in the sun.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains 2-methyl-3-hydroxy-4-methoxyanthraquinone, asperulosidic acid, and scandoside methyl ester among other constituents.
Pharmacology
Enhances immune function; has antibacterial effects, anti-tumor activity; at high doses significantly inhibits isolated rabbit intestines and can counteract the excitatory or inhibitory effects on the intestines caused by acetylcholine or epinephrine.
Properties and Channel Entry
Bitter, sweet, and cold. Enters the Heart, Lung, Liver, and Large Intestine channels.
Functions and Indications
Clears Heat and resolves toxicity, promotes diuresis and eliminates Dampness. Mainly treats lung Heat with wheezing and cough, sore throat, intestinal abscess, furuncles, swelling and sores, poisonous snake bites, painful and difficult urination due to Heat Lin, edema, dysentery, enteritis, Damp-Heat jaundice, and cancerous tumors.
Dosage and Administration
Internal use: decoct in water, 15-30 g; for large doses, up to 60 g; or crush to extract juice. External use: appropriate amount, crush for topical application.
Precautions and Contraindications
Use with caution during pregnancy.
Prescriptions
1. For acute and chronic diarrhea: 120 g of fresh *Hedyotis diffusa*, decoct in water for oral administration. (Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica, 1979) 2. For sore throat and conjunctivitis: 30-60 g of fresh whole plant of *Hedyotis diffusa*. Decoct in water for oral administration. (Fujian Chinese Herbal Medicine) 3. For appendicitis: 30 g of *Hedyotis diffusa*, 18 g each of *Lonicera japonica* and *Patrinia scabiosifolia*, and 15 g of *Sargentodoxa cuneata*. Decoct for oral administration. (Anhui Chinese Herbal Medicine) 4. For venomous snake bite: 30-60 g of fresh whole plant of *Hedyotis diffusa*. Mash and extract juice or decoct in water for oral administration. (Fujian Chinese Herbal Medicine) 5. For gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, and rectal cancer: 75 g of *Hedyotis diffusa*, 30 g of *Coix lacryma-jobi*, 10 g of *Dioscorea bulbifera*, 3 g of *Lindera aggregata*, 3 g of *Solanum nigrum*, and 6 g of *Prunus mume*. Decoct in water for oral administration. (Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica, 1979) 6. For falls and injuries: 120 g of fresh *Hedyotis diffusa*. Decoct in equal parts of water and wine for oral administration. (Jiangxi Herbal Medicine Manual) 7. For urinary tract infection: 30 g of whole plant of *Hedyotis diffusa*, 30 g of *Chrysanthemum indicum*, 30 g of *Lonicera japonica*, and 15 g of *Pyrrosia lingua*. Decoct in water for oral administration. (Hunan Materia Medica)
