What is Oldenlandia?

Answer 1

Oldenlandia is one of the oldest herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, and has one of the longest Chinese herb names. It grows mainly in the southeastern provinces of China, and is found it low altitudes in fields with moist soil.

It gets its name due in part to its leaves, which are thin and are shaped like a snake's tongue. The part of the plant used in herbal formulas is the rhizome. It is collected in summer and autumn, with the fibrous roots removed, before being used fresh or dried. In traditional Chinese medicine, oldenlandia has slightly bitter, sweet and cold properties. Its functions are to clear heat, resolve toxins, and relieve swellings on the skin. Oldenlandia can be used internally or externally. Its most famous use is to treat snake bites, particularly the bite of the agkistrodon, a type of pit viper. Oldenlandia has also been employed to treat sores and carbuncles on the skin, appendicitis, sore throats, and urinary tract infections. Experiments conducted in China suggest that an oldenlandia extract can also treat some types of cancer in animals; however, these studies have yet to be duplicated in humans. Oldenlandia umbellata(called chay root or choy root, from its Tamil name) is a low-growing plant native to India.[1] A colour-fast red dye can be extracted from the root bark of (preferably) a two year old plant. Chay root dye was once used with a mordant to impart a red colour to fabrics such as calico, wool, and silk. It is grown on the Coromandel Coast in India. This plant is well-known in Siddha Medicine for its styptic property. It is also a drug that can be administered for bronchial Asthma, as a decoction of the entire plant, a decoction made from its root and liquorice in the ratio-10:4, or the powdered root is given either with water or honey. A decoction of the root also is a febrifuge. Oldenlandia and scutellaria are extensively used in modern Chinese practice for treatment of viral infections (especially hepatitis) and cancers, as well as for some other syndromes involving "toxic heat," such as acne, boils, and other skin ailments