What is Hai Yu?

Hai Yu (scientific name: Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) Schott), which is also called
Alocasia macrorrhiza or
Alocasia macrorrhizos, is the rhizome or stem of Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) Schott, a plant of the Araceae family. Chromosome number 2n=2x=26. The stem is thick and strong, up to 3m high, the leaves are clustered on the top of the stem, the leaves are egg-shaped and halberd-shaped, the spadix is slightly shorter than the spathe, the female flowers are in the lower part, and the male flowers are in the upper part.
Alocasia macrorrhiza
Alocasia macrorrhiza, the name of traditional Chinese medicine. Distributed in South China, Southwest China and Fujian, Taiwan, Hunan and other places. Hi warm, humid and semi-shady environment. The optimum temperature for growth is 20-25°C, and the overwintering temperature is 10-15°C. Potted plants need half shade in summer. Cultivate with general garden soil plus peat soil, sand or turf soil and leaf humus soil. Propagate by division, cuttings and sowing. It has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxification, promoting qi circulation and relieving pain, dissipating stagnation and detumescence. It is commonly used for flu, cold, abdominal pain, tuberculosis, rheumatic bone pain, furuncle, carbuncle, scrofula, gangrene, baldness, scabies, and insect bites.
Types of Hai Yu
Hai Yu
Hai Yu is our common white alocasia, also known as Dripping Guanyin, and the upper part of spathe is white in boat shape.
Colored Hai Yu
The Colored Hai Yu are divided into white-flowered Hai Yu with star-point leaves, yellow-flowered Hai Yu with star-pointed leaves, yellow-flowered Hai Yu, golden Hai Yu, and pink Hai Yu because of the different colors of the upper part of the spathe.
Growth environment of Hai Yu

Haiyu is produced in the tropical and subtropical regions of Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and other places in China. The altitude is below 1700 meters, and it often grows in patches on the edge of tropical rainforest or under the wild plantain forest in river valleys. There are foreign countries from Bangladesh, northeastern India to the Malay Peninsula, the Indochina Peninsula, the Philippines, and Indonesia. There are also cultivated.
Haiyu grows in the tropical rainforest and wild plantain forest at an altitude of 200-1100 meters. It likes high temperature, humidity, shade tolerance, not suitable for strong wind and strong light, suitable for large pot cultivation, very vigorous and spectacular growth, with tropical atmosphere.
Processing methods of Hai Yu
Collection and processing
Hai Yu can be harvested throughout the year, peeled off the skin with a knife, sliced, soaked in clean water for 5-7 days, and changed the water several times, taken out for fresh use or sun-dried. Pad your hands with cloth or paper when processing to avoid poisoning.
Processing method
Take the raw medicinal materials, remove impurities, wash, moisten and soften, slice, dry, and sieve to remove dust.
Hai Yu TCM

Medicine part
The rhizome or stem of Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) Schott.
Taste
Spicy in the mouth, cold in nature.
Tropism
Return heart, liver, gallbladder, large intestine channel.
Effect
Heat-clearing and toxic substances removing, promoting the circulation of QI to relieve pain, dispelling stagnation and detumescence.
Attending
For influenza, cold, abdominal pain, tuberculosis, rheumatic ostalgia, furuncle, carbuncle, scrofula, gangrene, alopecia areata, scabies, insect bites.
Dosage
Oral administration: decoction, 3-9g, fresh product 15-30g (sliced rice should be fried together until the rice is burnt, then boiled in water until the rice is rotten, and the residue is removed. Or use after long frying for 2 hours).
External application: Appropriate amount, smashed for applying (do not apply to healthy skin); or baked for paste; or simmered for rubbing.
Taboo
Hai Yu is poisonous and should not be eaten raw. Those with weak constitution and pregnant women should take it with caution. The symptoms of poisoning are: itching when the skin contacts the juice; blindness caused by the contact of the eyes with the juice; eating stems and leaves by mistake causes tongue and throat itching, swelling, salivation, burning pain in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, convulsions, Severe cases suffocate and die from cardiac paralysis.
Morphological characteristics
Perennial herb, up to 5m high. The stem is stout, up to 30cm in diameter. Alternate leaves; petioles thick, 60-90cm long, thick at the bottom, clasping stems; leaves broadly ovate, 30-90cm long, 20-60cm wide, apex shortly pointed, base broadly heart-shaped and arrow-shaped, lateral veins 9-12 pairs, Thick and distinct, green. The flowers are monoecious; the inflorescence stalk is strong, 15-20cm long; the tube of spathe is 3-4cm long, pink green, and the bracts are boat-shaped, 10-14cm long, 4-5cm wide, greenish yellow, with sharp apex; meat Spike inflorescences shorter than spathes; female inflorescences 2-2.5cm long and located at the lower part; neutral inflorescences 2.5-3.5cm long and located above the female inflorescences; male inflorescences 3cm long and located above the neutral inflorescences; appendages ca. 3cm, with reticular grooves; ovary 3-4 rooms. Berry red. 1-2 seeds. Flowering period spring to autumn.
Hai Yu benefits
Clear heat and detoxify
Hai Yu has the function of clearing heat and detoxifying, and is suitable for high fever, flu, boils, scabies and all malignant sores and swelling. Such as "classified herbal medicine": "cure all malignant sores and swollen toxins, at the end, apply wine." Another example is "Tianbao Materia Medica": apply furuncle, scabies. "Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Annals": Treating tuberculosis, diarrhoea, fever, etc.
Promoting qi and relieving pain
The rhizome of Hai Yu is a stomach-invigorating medicine, which has the effect of promoting qi and relieving pain, and has good effects on abdominal pain, cholera, hernia, etc.
Reducing swelling and dispelling stagnation
Hai Yu has the effect of reducing swelling and dissipating stagnation. It is suitable for tuberculosis, typhoid fever, rheumatic joint pain, nasal congestion and runny nose. It is also used externally for boils and swollen toxins.
Hai Yu side effects
The juice in the stems and leaves of Hai Yu is poisonous, containing calcium oxalate, hydrocyanic acid and alkaloids. Ingestion can cause tongue numbness, swelling and central nervous system poisoning. Skin contact can cause itching, numbness and rash. Do not accidentally swallow or get in eyes. Otherwise, it will be swollen, painful, numb, and very sad; in severe cases, it may be life-threatening. In case of accidental ingestion or poisoning, seek medical attention immediately.
Hai Yu uses

Prevention and treatment of influenza
5kg of fresh Hai Yu root, peeled and washed, cut into thin slices, 120g of rice, 15g of salt. Mix it into the pot, stir-fry over high heat until the rice turns brown-black, add 10000ml of water, boil for 2 hours, and filter. Prevention: 1 time a day, 150ml each time, for 3 days. Treatment: 2 times a day, 150ml each time. ("National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicine")
Cure summer-heat headache and body fatigue
(Wild) Hai Yu root is sealed with wet paper, simmered and heated to rub the forehead, waist, front and back heart, and bends of hands and feet. Can be comfortable all over the body. ("Lingnan Herbal Collection")
Treatment of intestinal colic and abdominal pain
120g of wild Hai Yu (stir-fried yellow), 60g of sweeping leaves (gang pine) (fried yellow). First fry the wild taro, and then put the leaves of the sweeping tube while boiling and fry for a while, remove the dregs and serve warm. Avoid drinking rice soup. ("Lingnan Herbal Records")
Treatment of typhoid fever
120g of wild Hai Yu (sliced), 30g of rice and 2 pieces of raw embroidered iron nails, fried yellow, add some water and decoct. "Guangxi Chinese Herbal Medicine")
Treatment of rheumatic bone pain
Thick slices of wild Alocasia macrorrhiza. First put a little camphor in the center of the taro chips, roast the camphor with fire, and apply it to the affected area while the fire is still on. ("Guangxi Chinese Herbal Medicine")
Treatment of carbuncle and boils
(Wild Hai Yu) appropriate amount of fresh rhizome. Add 30g of wine and mash it, wrap it with (wild taro) leaves, simmer for external application. ("Guangxi Materia Medica Selection")
Treatment of posterior gangrene
1 wild Hai Yu root. Grind it into a paste with vinegar and apply to the affected area. {"Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine" 1955, (10): 24}
Governance of gangrene
Alocasia macrorrhiza, plantain root (appropriate amount). Smash and apply to affected area. ("Hunan Drug Records")
Treatment of aphthous sores
Appropriate amount of fresh Hai Yu stems and a little alum. Smashed and applied to the affected area. ("Fujian Drug Records")
Treatment of alopecia areata
30g of Hai Yu root, 15g each of garlic, ginger and white pepper. Grind it into powder, soak in 250g of sorghum wine for 48 hours, and rub the affected area with medicinal wine. ("Fujian Drug Records")
Treatment of seborrheic alopecia
250g of Alocasia macrorrhiza stem, 500g of tea oil. Boil the calla lily with slow fire until it is dark yellow, remove the dregs, soak the oil tea cake in boiling water for a while, take the liquid to wash your hair, and then rub the calla lily oil from the outside to the inside. ("Fujian Drug Records")
Treatment of poisonous snakes and centipede bites
60g Hai Yu, 30g orange bark. Smash it with salt water and medicine, and wrap the affected area with wet paper or leaves. ("Lingnan Herbal Records")
How to choose Hai Yu?
Properties of medicinal materials
Most of Alocasia macrorrhiza are cross-cut slices, round or oblong, often rolled into various shapes, with a diameter of 6-10cm and a thickness of 2-3cm; the surface is brown or tan. Light weight, easy to break, white or yellowish white section, showing granularity. Slight gas, light taste, numb tongue and prickly throat when chewing.
The properties of drinking pieces
Hai Yu is nearly round or irregular in shape, with a thickness of 1-2mm. The periphery is brownish yellow, and sometimes unremoved cork, ring-shaped nodes and round root scars can be seen. The texture is solid, the cut surface is white or yellow-white powder, the vascular bundles are scattered in light yellow dots, and the endothelial ring is clear. Slight gas, light taste, numb when chewing.
How to buy Hai Yu?
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