Erodium stephanianum Willd.

Erodium stephanianum Willd.

Photo collected plant.ac.cn

Latin Name: Erodium stephanianum Willd.; Family Geraniaceae

Synonym Name: Erodium stephanianum var. atranthum Nakai ex Kitag.; Geranium stephanianum (Willd.) Poir.; Geranium stevenii (M.Bieb.) Poir.

English Name: Heronbill Common Heron’s Bill

Vietnamese name: Lão quan thảo mỏ dài

Description: Perennials 20-50(-120) cm tall. Stems numerous, ascending to decumbent. Stipules triangular-lanceolate, 3-8 mm. Leaves opposite; leaf blade 4-7 cm, ovate to triangular-ovate, pinnately parted with basal pair of lobes distinct, both surfaces sparsely appressed pilose. Pseudoumbels conspicuously longer than leaves, with 2-5 hermaphrodite flowers; peduncle both spreading pilose and retrorsely pubescent. Pedicel 1/4-1/3 as long as peduncle. Sepals oblong-ovate, 6-9 mm, hirsute, apex awned. Petals purple, without a basal spot, obovate, 5-7 mm. Mericarp 8-11 mm, with apical pit, without ridges or furrows; awn not plumose. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.

Distribution: Growing on hill-slopes, in grasslands and rand. Distributed in Northeast, North, Central and Northwest China, South Yunnan, Tibet and etc. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Northeast, North, Northwest and Central China, Yunnan, Tibet and etc.

Part Used: Medical part: whole plant with fruits.

Chinese name: Laoguancao.

Harvest & Processing: Harvested mature fruits in summer and autumn, bundled up, and sun-dried.

Chemistry: Mainly contains volatile oils. Aallic acid, kaempferol, kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, corilagin and ellagic acid.

Pharmacology: Antivirotic, antifungal and anti-bacterial.

Properties & Actions: Pungent, bitter, neutral. Dispelling wind-dampness, freeing the meridians and relieving diarrhea.

Indications & Usage: Rheumatic arthralgia, numbness and tendon spasms, aching pain in the bones and muscles, diarrhea and dysentery. Oral administration: decocting, 9-15g; or made as medicinal liquor; or prepared ointment. External application: appropriate amount, smashed and heated by stirring with wine or made as ointment for applying.

Examples

1. Laryngeal tumor: wilford cranesbill 15-30g. Decoct and gargle.

2. Onset of sores: an appropriate amount of fresh wilford cranesbill, pestle and collect juice or decoct thickly and collect juice, smear onto the affected lesions.

References

Chinese Medicinal Material Images Database

efloras.org

Theplantlist

YANG Da-Song, HE Qiu-Xia, YANG Yong-Ping, LIU Ke-Chun, LI Xiao-Li. Chemical constituents of Euphorbia tibetica and their biological activities[J]. Chin J Nat Med, 2014, 12(1): 38-42