The pinyin name is e Bu Shi Cǎo

The English name is HERBA CENTIPEDAE

Also known as ball grass, beetroot, ground pepper, and tridentate

Source: This product is the dried whole plant of Centipeda minima (L.) A. Br. et Aschers. Harvest when the flowers bloom in summer and autumn, wash away the sediment and dry in the sun.

Characteristics: This product tangles into balls. The fibrous roots are slender and light yellow. The stem is thin and multi-branched; it is brittle and easy to break, and its cross section is yellowish white. The leaves are small and nearly sessile; the leaves are mostly shrunken and broken, and the intact ones are spoon-shaped after being flattened. The surface is gray-green or tan, and there are 3 to 5 serrations on the edge. Flower heads yellow or tan. The smell is slightly fragrant, with a tingling sensation after a long sniff, and the taste is bitter and slightly pungent.

Identification: The powder of this product is gray-green to gray-brown. The stem epidermal cells are rectangular or quasi-polygonal, with slightly thicker walls and faint keratin texture on the surface; they have stomata. The leaf epidermal cells are polygonal, with thin hanging walls and wavy curves; the stomata are infinitive and there are 4 to 6 accessory cells. The glandular trichomes are shoe sole-shaped in top view, with cells arranged in pairs and containing yellow matter. The epidermal cells of the corolla are yellow, rectangular or polygonal in surface view, and the cells extend outward to form villi-like protrusions, with a horny texture on the surface. Non-glandular hairs are born on the epidermis of the corolla, with 2 rows; one row is single-celled and slightly shorter, and the other row is 2-celled, with shorter basal cells, often hook-shaped or curled apex, and fine horny texture on the upper 2/3 surface. . The pollen grains are light yellow, round in shape, 15-22 μm in diameter, with 3 grooves and spines on the surface.

Process to remove impurities, cut into sections, and dry.

Its nature and flavor are pungent and warm.

Returns to the lung and liver meridians.

Functions and Indications: Clearing the nasal passages and relieving coughs. It is used for headache due to wind-cold, cough with excessive phlegm, nasal congestion, and runny nose.

Usage and dosage: 6~9g. Appropriate amount for external use.

Store in a ventilated and dry place.

Excerpt from "Chinese Pharmacopoeia"