Pinyin: Shemei
Aliases
Ye Yangmei, She Han Cao, Long Tu Zhu, Jiu Long Cao.
Source
Rosaceae plant *Duchesnea indica* (Andrews) FockeDuchesnea indicaDried whole herb of *Rubus* (Andr.) Focke.
Botanical Description
Perennial herb. Rhizome short and stout. Stolons numerous, 30-100 cm long, pubescent, producing adventitious roots at the nodes. Basal leaves several, cauline leaves alternate, all ternately compound; petiole 1-5 cm long, pubescent; stipules narrowly ovate to broadly lanceolate, 5-8 mm long; leaflets with petiolules, obovate to rhombic-oblong, 2-3 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, apex obtuse, margin bluntly serrate, both surfaces pubescent or upper surface glabrous. Flowers solitary in leaf axils; 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter; pedicel 3-6 cm long, pubescent; sepals 5, ovate, 4-6 mm long, apex acute, sparsely pubescent externally; epicalyx segments 5, obovate, 5-8 mm long, longer than sepals, apex often with 3-5 teeth; petals 5, obovate, 5-10 mm long, yellow, apex rounded; stamens 20-30; carpels numerous, free; receptacle enlarged in fruit, spongy, bright red, glossy, 10-20 mm in diameter, externally with long hairs. Achenes ovoid, about 1.5 mm long, smooth or with inconspicuous protrusions, glossy when fresh. Flowering June to August, fruiting August to October.
Habitat and Distribution
Grows on hillsides, riverbanks, grasslands, and damp places. Produced in areas south of Liaoning.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest the whole plant from June to November, wash clean, and either dry in the sun or use fresh.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains methoxydehydrocholesterol, oligomeric condensed tannins, ellagitannins, gallic acid, and other components.
Pharmacology
Has anticancer effects, and can enhance immunity, and also has antibacterial effects; it has a transient blood pressure-lowering effect on the cardiovascular system, which is dose-dependent; it has certain effects on smooth muscle, and exhibits partial androgenic and histamine-like effects.
Properties and Channel Entry
Sweet, bitter, cold.
Functions and Indications
Clears Heat and resolves toxicity, cools Blood and stops bleeding, disperses stasis and reduces swelling. Main indications: febrile diseases, convulsions and epilepsy, common cold, dysentery, jaundice, red eyes, mouth sores, sore throat, mumps, furuncles and swellings, venomous snake bites, hematemesis, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis, irregular menstruation, scalds and burns, traumatic swelling and pain.
Dosage and Administration
Oral: decoct in water, 9-15 g, fresh product 30-60 g; or crush to extract juice. External use: appropriate amount, crush for application or grind into powder for sprinkling.
Prescriptions
1. Treats cold with fever and cough: Fresh *Duchesnea indica* 30-60 g. Decoct in water for oral administration. ("Shanxi Chinese Herbal Medicine") 2. Treats dysentery and enteritis: *Duchesnea indica* whole herb 15-30 g. Decoct in water for oral administration. ("Zhejiang Folk Commonly Used Herbal Medicine") 3. Treats jaundice: *Duchesnea indica* whole herb 15-30 g. Decoct in water for oral administration. ("Guangxi Chinese Herbal Medicine") 4. Treats swollen, painful eyes or corneal opacity: Fresh *Duchesnea indica* appropriate amount, mash into a paste, mix with a little egg white, and apply to the eyelids. ("Henan Chinese Herbal Medicine Handbook") 5. Treats sore throat: *Duchesnea indica* appropriate amount, grind into fine powder, take 6 g per dose, flush with boiling water. ("Henan Chinese Herbal Medicine Handbook") 6. Treats furuncle on the back of the neck (Dui Kou Chuang): Fresh *Duchesnea indica* and *Lantana camara* leaves, equal amounts, add a little cooked rice, mash together and apply to the affected area. ("Fujian Materia Medica") 7. Treats mumps: Fresh *Duchesnea indica* 30-60 g, add a little salt, mash together and apply externally. (Jiangxi "Herbal Medicine Handbook") 8. Treats herpes zoster: Fresh *Duchesnea indica* whole herb, mash to extract juice, apply externally. ("Zhejiang Folk Commonly Used Herbal Medicine")
