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Tribulus terrestris L.
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English Name |
Caltrop, Puncturevine Caltrop, Puncture Vine |
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Latin name |
Tribulus terrestris L. |
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Family & Genus |
Zygophyllaceae, Tribulus |
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Description |
Annual herb. Stem recumbent, covered with long soft hairs or long hard hairs, branch 20-60cm long, petiole lanceolate, small and sharp in shape, about 3mm long, Biserial pinnately compound leaf, opposite, one longer and one shorter; longer leaf 3-5cm long; 1.5-2cm wide, generally with 6-8 pairs of leaflets; shorter leaf 1-52cm long, generally with 3-5 pairs of leaflets; leaflets opposite, long circular, 4-15mm long, tip sharp or blunt, surface hairless or only with filiform hairs along the middle vein, covered with white decumbent filiform hairs. Flower light yellow, small sized, regular, solitary in the leaf axil of the shorter leaf; peduncle 4-10mm long, sometimes 20mm long; calyx 5, ovate lanceolate, gradually pointed, about 4mm long, with hairs on the back, persistent; petals 5, invert ovate, tip slightly truncated, alternate with calyx; stamens 10, grown on the basal part of flower disc, basal part with squamous glands. Ovary with 5 carpels. Fruit separated, quinquangular or spherical, consisting of 5 stellately arranged carpels, each carpel with 1 pair of long and short calthrops, with short hard hairs and tubercule on the back. Flowering: May to August, fruiting: June to September. |
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Distribution |
Growing on barren hills, paddy side and in fields. Distributed in all parts of China. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Shaanxi and etc. |
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Part Used |
Medical part: roots, stem leaves, flowers and seeds. Chinese name: roots: Jiligen. Stem leaves: Jilimiao. Flowers: Jilihua. Fruits: Cijili. |
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Harvest & Processing |
Roots: excavated roots in autumn, washed off earth, and sun-dried. Stem leaves: harvested in summer, used fresh or sundried. Flowers: collected in May-Aug and dried in the shade or baked to dry. Fruits: from Aug-Sept when fruits turn green to yellow white, sun-dried for several days, threshed and sun-dried again. |
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Chemistry |
Roots contain saponin: diosgenin, chlorogenin, ruscogenin and various amino acids. Leaves contain various flavonoid glycosides: mainly quercetin-3-gentiobioside, quercetin-3-rutinoside and quercetin-3-glucoside, etc. Fruits contain tribuloside, kaempferol and kaemopferol-3-glucoside, etc. |
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Pharmacology |
Antihypertensive, anti-myocardial ischemia and aging-decelerating. |
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Properties & Actions |
Stem leaves: pungent, neutral. Fruits: bitter, pungent, neutral.Stem leaves: dispelling wind, removing dampness, stopping itching, eliminating carbuncle. Fruits: suppressing hyperactive liver, resolving depression, dispelling wind for improving eyesight. |
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Indications & Usage |
Root: loose teeth caused by trauma. Stem leaves: acu-injury of diaphragm by summer hygrosis, vomiting and diarrhea, nasal obstruction and watery nasal discharge, skin itching, sarcoptidosis, anthracia. Flower: leucoderma. Fruits: headache, vertigo, gastric and costal swelling pain, spargosis, unsmooth lactation, menostasia, conjunctivitis and pterygium, bastard measles and pruritus, leucoderma, scabies, scrofula.Roots: external application: appropriate amount, powdered for external spread. Stem leaves: oral administration: decocting, 5-10g; or made as pills or powders; or pounded to extract juice. External application: appropriate amount, decocted for washing; smashed for applying or prepared ointment. Flowers: oral administration: powdered 3-5g. Fruits: oral administration: decocting, 6-9g, or made as pills or powders. External application: appropriate amount, decocted for washing; or powdered for applying. |
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Examples |
1. Typhus and headache, physical heat, joint pain: caltrop seed (stir-fried, remove prickles), angelica dahurica, aconite root (prepared), white batryticated silkworm (stir-fried) in equal amounts. Pestle the above four drugs and sieve into powder, take 2 qian each time. Swallow with clear tea or liquor at any time.
2. Obstructed urine, abdominal distension: caltrop, stir-fried to yellow, grind into a powder, and swallow with yellow wine.
3. Infantile sunstroke and vomiting: white caltrop seedlings, pestle to collect juice and swallow. |
| Link to |
 Chinese Medicinal Material Images Database
Chinese Medicine Specimen Database
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Permanent URL：https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/cmed/mpid/detail.php?herb_id=D00775 |
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