Fairy grass is an annual perennial herb, the lower part of the stem is creeping and the upper part is upright, about 15 ~ 50 cm long and about 1 m high. Stems are initially puberulent and setose, slightly older and cleaner. Leaves opposite, petiole 2 ~ 15 mm long; Leaf blade is broadly ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 2 ~ 5.5 cm or more long, slightly blunt at the top, tapering into a stalk at the base, serrated at the edge, pilose on both sides or only in the lower vein, sometimes nearly glabrous.

The flower pattern is a terminal cyme, 2 ~ 8 cm long; Flowers small, whorled, stalk about 3 mm long; Bracts are round or rhomboid-ovate, terminal caudate, usually slightly longer than flowers; Calyx seed-shaped, 2 ~ 2.5 mm long, longitudinal veins 10, many transverse veins, densely white pilose, 3-cleft upper lip, extra-large cleft, whole or slightly concave lower lip.

Corolla white or reddish, 3 ~ 3.5 mm long, upper lip wide and large, with 4 teeth, middle 2 teeth inconspicuous, lower lip boat-shaped. Stamens 4, filaments prominent; Pistil 1, style 2-lobed; One side of the disk expands. Nutlets elliptic; Flowers are not common. Slight breath, light and sweet to chew, gelatinous.

Corolla reddish, 2.5 mm long, upper lip wide, entire or toothed, lower lip oval, concave; Stamens 4, filaments prominent; Flowers bloom in late autumn.

Leaves oval or oval oblong, 2 ~ 4 cm long, slightly blunt at the top, tapering into stalks at the base, with small serrations at the edge and sparse hairs on both sides; The raceme is weak, 5 ~ 10 cm long; Flowers small, whorled, stalk about 3 mm long; Calyx is small, bell-shaped, 2-lipped, upper lip 3-lobed, lower lip entire, tubular when bearing fruit, bent downward, with longitudinal veins and transverse wrinkles.

Extended data:

Fairy grass is common in the south, its appearance is not good, and its name comes from fairy tales.

Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, some people in Xing Wu (now Pucheng County, Fujian Province) collected herbs to cure their mother's heatstroke. When they woke up, they found natural jelly, so they collected fairy grass to cure their mother's illness. It is called "Cao Xian" or "Cao Xian" because of its magical effect of relieving summer heat.

Nearly half of Cao Xianzhong is carbohydrate, and the cellulose content accounts for about 40%. Iron, calcium, manganese and other minerals are high in content. Among vitamins, the content of B vitamins is high, as well as polysaccharides, pigments (mainly anthocyanins), oleanolic acid, flavonoids and other components.

People use it to make "Cao Xian Guo jelly", that is, Cao Xian is dried, boiled with rice slurry, cooked and cooled to form black jelly. Fairy grass mixed with sugar can be used as a thirst quencher in summer.

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