Japanese Thistle

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan.

Da ji cao: aerial portion is cylindrical, base is up to 1.2cm in diameter. Brown or greenish-brown, with straight ridges (numerous longitudinal ridges); slightly hard and brittle texture. Fractured surface is grayish-white; pith is loose or with a hollow center. Leaf is wrinkled and mashed, greenish-brown, intact leaves have an oblanceolate or obovate shape, pinniform with deep fissures, edges have obvious uneven long prickles. Stem and leaves all covered with grayish-white spiderweb-like hair; brittle texture; flower head grows from the apex, involucres are yellowish-brown, bracts are lanceolate with slightly purple-black tip; corolla always falls off, appears as a grayish-white pinniform tuft; faint odor; tasteless. Da ji gen: long fusiform and fascicled and twisted, 5~15cm long, 0.2~0.6cm diameter. Externally dark brown with irregular longitudinal wrinkles. Hard and brittle texture, easily broken, fractured surface is rough, grayish-white. faint odor, sweet and slightly bitter taste.

Superior medicinal material has grayish-green aerial portion, numerous leaves, thick and dry root.

Sweet, bitter; cool.

Cools the blood, stops bleeding, dispels stasis and disperses swelling. Apply to Hematemesis, non-traumatic hemorrhage, hematuria, bloody stranguria, metrorrhagia, vaginal discharge, intestine wind, acute appendicitis, swelling toxin of carbuncle and sore, furuncle and sore.