1. Alias

Gallbladder grass, ground gall grass, gentian grass, four leaf gall, grass gentian.
2. Plant morphology
Perennial herb, usually green with a hint of purple throughout the plant. The rhizome is short, densely packed with mostly yellow white roots with horizontal wrinkles. The stem is upright, thick, and single. Leaves opposite each other, without stems, slightly embracing the stem at the base, larger leaves in the middle, ovate or ovate lanceolate, rough edges and leaf axils, with 3 distinct main veins. Flower clusters grow at the stem tip or leaf axil, with cylindrical bell shaped corolla tubes, bright blue or dark blue in color, triangular folds between lobes, half the length of the corolla, apex gradually pointed, sparsely with 2 teeth. Capsule.
3. Origin distribution
Born in grasslands and shrubs. Distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia and other places.
4. Harvesting and processing
Roots and rhizomes can be harvested in both spring and autumn, with autumn harvesting yielding better quality. Remove soil impurities, sun dry, or cut into sections and dry for later use.
5. Characteristics of medicinal herbs
The rhizome is irregularly shaped, measuring 0.5-3 centimeters in length and 0.5-1 centimeter in diameter; The surface is gray brown or dark brown, with multiple stem scars or residual stem bases at the upper end, and many slender roots clustered around and at the lower end. Root cylindrical, slightly twisted, 10-20 centimeters long, 2-4 millimeters in diameter; The surface is light yellow or yellow brown, with fine horizontal wrinkles on the upper part and vertical wrinkles and fine root marks on the lower part. Crispy texture, easy to absorb moisture and become soft; The cross-section is slightly flat, yellow brown in color, and the wood appears as yellow white dots, arranged in a circular pattern, with obvious marrow. The air is weak and the taste is extremely bitter.
6. Sexual Taste Returning to the Classics
Cold in nature and bitter in taste. Return to the liver meridian and gallbladder meridian.
7. Effect and Function
Clearing liver fire, removing dampness and heat, and strengthening the stomach. A heat clearing and purging gunpowder classified under the category of heat clearing drugs.
8. Clinical application
Use 2.5-4.5 grams to treat symptoms such as blurred vision, dizziness, hearing loss, ear swelling, back pain, sore throat, seizures, damp heat sores, eczema, vaginal swelling, itching, painful urination, and loss of appetite. Longdan has pharmacological effects such as liver protection, choleretic, stomach health, anti-inflammatory and immune, anti hyperthyroidism, antibacterial, analgesic and sedative.
9. Pharmacological research
It has the effects of protecting the liver, promoting bile flow, anti-inflammatory, anti allergic, sedative, lowering body temperature, anticonvulsant, analgesic, anti pathogen, anti roundworm, lowering blood pressure, diuretic, stomach health, stimulating the small intestine, and relaxing skeletal muscles.
10. Chemical composition
Containing gentiopicroside, naringenin, gentian alkaloid C, kaempferol, naringenin, trace amounts of naringenin esters, gentian alkaloids, and gentian alkaloids. Striped Gentiana contains three types of gentiopicroside, ferulic acid, salicylic acid, gentiopicroside, and swertiamarin.
11. Usage taboos
Those with weak spleen and stomach and yang deficiency without fire are prohibited from taking it.
12. Compatibility prescription
① Treatment of acute jaundice type infectious hepatitis: 12 grams each of Gentiana scabra and Artemisia scoparia, 5 grams each of Yujin and Huangbai. Boil it in water. (Qingdao Herbal Medicine Handbook)
② Treat sudden hematuria and pain in the stem: Take a handful of gentian and boil it in water. (Compendium of Materia Medica)
③ To treat excessive sweating in children at night, it is recommended to use gentian at any amount or add windproof powder, vinegar paste pills, and mung beans. Take five or seven pills and drink rice. (Preschool Science Extract, Tongshen Pill)
④ Treatment of hypertension: 9g Gentiana and 15g Prunella vulgaris. Boil it in water. (Fujian Pharmaceutical Journal)
⊙ The content of the article is for clinical reference only. Non TCM professionals are not allowed to test drugs.