What is Hong Hua?
Hong Hua (scientific name: Carthamus tinctorius L.), which is also called
Carthamus tinctorius or
Safflower, is an annual herb of the genus Carthamus in the family Asteraceae. Up to 150 cm high. Stem erect, upper branched, smooth, glabrous. The leaves are hard, leathery, shiny, sessile at the base, and semi-ambulatory. Inflorescence head, bracts elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, involucre ovate, glabrous without glandular points. The small flowers are red and orange, all of which are bisexual, and the achenes are obovate, and bloom and bear fruit from May to August. Native to Central Asia. It is wild and cultivated in Russia, and widely cultivated in Japan and North Korea. China's Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Shandong, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, especially Xinjiang are widely cultivated. Shanxi, Gansu, and Sichuan also saw escapees.
Carthamus tinctorius
Carthamus tinctorius, the name of traditional Chinese medicine. It is the dry flower of safflower Carthamus tinctorius L. in Compositae. Pick when the flowers turn from yellow to red in summer, and dry in the shade or in the sun. It has the effects of promoting blood circulation and promoting menstruation, dissipating blood stasis and relieving pain. Used for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, lochia, mass in the abdomen, chest pain and heartache, abdominal pain due to stasis, stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondrium, injury from falls, swelling and pain in sores.
Types of Hong Hua
Du Hong Hua
The common Du Hong Hua is a relatively common variety, mainly distributed in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The whole plant is about 100 cm long, and the color is golden. Its petals are long and the leaves are narrow. The quality of safflower after drying is better.
Huai Hong Hua
Huai Hong Hua is mainly distributed in the Henan area of my country. It has certain requirements for the growth environment, and it needs careful cultivation to achieve very good quality. Usually, the plant can grow to about 100 cm, and there are about 7 to 30 flower balls. The petals are relatively short. The thorns are few and not sharp, and the quality of the dried safflower is average, and the market price is not very high.
Da Hong Pao
Da Hong Pao is a relatively high-quality Hong Hua variety. It is mainly cultivated in Nayanjin. The whole plant can grow to about 90 cm. The color of the flowers is very bright, and it can grow many branches. The flower buds are particularly large, so the yield is relatively considerable, and The safflower of this variety has strong disease resistance and is a variety that can also be used for oil flowers.
UC-26
This variety of Hong Hua was introduced from the United States by the Beijing Botanical Garden in 1987. Its branches and the main stem form a small angle, which is very suitable for dense planting. The number of flower bulbs is very large and small, and the flower yield is very high. High, its oil content is relatively low, generally mainly cauliflower-based varieties.
Growth environment of Hong Hua
Honghua is native to Central Asia. It is wild and planted in Russia. It is also planted in Japan and North Korea. Domestic Henan, Xinjiang, Gansu, Shandong, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Tibet are also planted. In addition to the introduction and cultivation of the above-mentioned areas in China, there are also wild ones in Shanxi, Gansu, and Sichuan.
Honghua likes warm and dry climate, has strong cold resistance and resistance to barrenness. It is resistant to drought and waterlogging, and is suitable for planting on well-drained, moderately fertile sandy soil, especially oily sandy soil and purple sandy soil. The seeds are easy to germinate, and can germinate above 5°C, the optimum temperature for germination is 15-25°C, and the germination rate is about 80%. Strong adaptability, life cycle 120 days.
Processing methods of Hong Hua
Collection and processing
Pick when the flowers turn from yellow to red in summer, and dry in the shade or in the sun.
Processing method
Hong Hua
Take the original medicinal materials, remove impurities, calyx and flower stalks, and sieve to remove dust.
Fried Hong Hua
Take the net Hong Hua and put it in the pot, fry it with a slow fire until it is slightly burnt, then take it out and let it cool.
Hong Hua charcoal
Take the clean Hong Hua and put it in the pot, stir-fry it until reddish-brown, spray a little water to extinguish the sparks, take it out and let it cool thoroughly.
Vinegar Hong Hua
Take Hong Hua, add vinegar and spray evenly, stir-fry over low heat until it is burnt red, take it out and let it cool.
For every 100kg of safflower, use 20kg of vinegar.
Hong Hua TCM
Medicine part
Dry flowers for plants.
Taste
Spicy in the mouth, warm in nature.
Tropism
Return heart, liver channel.
Effect
Promoting blood circulation to stimulate menstrual flow, dissipating blood stasis and relieving pain.
Attending
Used for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, lochia, mass in the abdomen, chest pain and heartache, abdominal pain due to stasis, stabbing pain in the chest and hypochondrium, injury from falls, swelling and pain in sores.
Related compatibility
1. Retained placenta: same as above. Postpartum typhoid fever, blood dizziness: use lotus leaf, safflower, and turmeric, stir-fry and grind into powder. The boy urinates and transfers two coins. (Pang Anchang's Treatise on Febrile Diseases)
2. Unblocking the menstrual flow and breaking the blood: five taels of tile flowers (living) in the shade of the old house (boiled ointment), one tael of angelica beard and dried lacquer (burning smoke), and two qian for the door. For the end, jujube meat and ball Wuzi are big. Take seventy pills per serving, and drink with safflower soup. ("Zi Xuan Fang")
3. Postpartum haemorrhage, depression and breathlessness: one liang of safflower, as the end, divided into two doses, two cups of wine, decocted in one cup, and taken continuously. If the mouth is silent, it is especially wonderful to open it to irrigate it, or to urinate. ("Secret Records of Mother and Child")
Dosage
Decoction, 3~10g.
Taboo
Pregnant women use with caution.
Physiological characteristics
Annual herb, about 30-100cm high. The stem is erect, the upper part is much branched. The leaves are oblong, with pointed apex, sessile, base clasping stems, edges pinnately lobed, with spikes at the ends of teeth, and glabrous on both sides; upper leaves are smaller, encircling inflorescences in bracts. The inflorescences are terminal and arranged in a corymb shape; the involucre has several layers, the outer layer is green, ovate-lanceolate, with sharp spines on the edge, the inner layer is ovate-elliptic, white, membranous; all of them are tubular flowers, Yellow when first opened, later turning orange-red; achene oval, about 5mm long, without pappus, or scaly. 1-year herb, flowering period from May to July, fruit period from July to September, 30-90 cm high, alternate leaves, ovate or lanceolate, hard texture, smooth and glabrous on both sides, spiny teeth on the edge, flower heads, All bisexual tubular flowers with orange-red corolla.
Medicinal properties
Hong Hua is a tubular flower without ovary, 1-2cm long. The surface is reddish yellow or red. The corolla tube is slender, with 5 lobes at the apex, and the lobes are narrow and strip-shaped, 5-8mm long; the stamens are 5, and the anthers are aggregated into a tube, yellowish-white; the stigma is long cylindrical, and the apex is slightly forked. Soft texture. The gas is slightly fragrant, and the taste is slightly bitter.
Related discussion
1. "Compendium of Materia Medica": promoting blood circulation and moistening dryness, relieving pain and swelling, stimulating menstrual flow.
2. "Kaibao": postpartum blood dizziness, mouth silencing, abdominal hemorrhage endless colic, fetal death, and drink boiled. Also master Gu poison.
3. "Hen Jing Feng Yuan": Blood is born in the pericardium and stored in the liver, which belongs to Chong Ren, and safflower juice is similar to it. Therefore, it can conduct blood vessels of men, lead women's meridians, activate blood circulation, detoxify pox, and dispel redness and swelling.
Hong Hua benefits
1. For women caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis, Hong Hua can be used to treat dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and irregular menstruation.
2. Hong Hua can be used for postpartum blood stasis, which will lead to postpartum lochia, abdominal pain and other symptoms.
3. Due to breast hyperplasia, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and other diseases, Hong Hua can be used for syndromes formed by congestion and obstruction.
4. Hong Hua has a certain curative effect on chest, abdomen, chest and hypochondriac pain caused by blood stasis.
5. Hong Hua can be used to treat congestion, swelling and pain caused by bruises.
6. Hong Hua can be used to treat skin rashes, bleeding and other symptoms caused by congestion and stasis.
7. Hong Hua can be used for headache, dizziness, stroke, hemiplegia, etc. caused by blood stasis.
Hong Hua side effects
Menstrual disorders
For female patients, menstruation may be advanced or delayed, but it will recover after a period of time. This phenomenon is related to the menstruation regulating function of safflower.
Bleeding
Some patients experience nosebleeds, especially in younger patients, but after stopping the Hong Hua, the nosebleeds are gone.
Ataxia
For patients who use a large amount of Hong Hua, it is very easy to have this symptom, and it will also be accompanied by dizziness.
How to take Hong Hua?
Decoction
3 to 10 grams at a time.
Make tea
Safflower tea
For carbuncle sores, it can be taken orally, and safflower water can be used instead of tea for daily health care.
Soaking wine
Safflower wine
Wash and dry the safflower, then put it into gauze with brown sugar, put it in a wine jar and seal it, soak it for five to seven days before taking it out for drinking, it can improve symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, blood deficiency, and blood stasis in women. Drinking for a long time, it also has the effects of beautifying, moisturizing and promoting blood circulation.
Porridge
Safflower porridge
You can cook porridge with Hong Hua and bird’s nest or black rice. Cooking porridge with safflower and bird’s nest has the functions of beautifying and beautifying, relieving pain, promoting blood circulation, and removing stasis; For women with irregular menstruation and blood deficiency.
Soup
Safflower Pork Heart Soup
Cut the washed pig heart into small pieces, put it in the pot together with carthamus tinctorius, then add appropriate amount of water to stew, add appropriate amount of condiments according to your own taste, drink safflower pig heart soup for high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, etc. It has a good therapeutic effect, and it also has the effects of relieving depression and invigorating the heart, promoting blood circulation and ventilating.
External use
Safflower oil
To treat bruises, you can use safflower oil for external use or boil water with safflower and other blood-activating drugs for external washing.
How to choose Hong Hua?
1. Genuine Hong Hua raw medicine is produced in Yumin, Xinjiang. The surface of the corolla is red, the anthers are yellow and white, the corolla is loose, and the flower shape is neat.
2. Slightly sticky lumps that have not been circled and loosened in heavy-mixed Hong Hua original medicine, irregular flower shape, strong pungent smell, oily, and slightly heavy.
3. When choosing Hong Hua, choose soft ones with slightly forked tops, red or yellow in color, like the color of pepper, and slightly moist ones are better. Such safflowers have good texture and nutritional value high.
How to buy Hong Hua?
Native Chinese supply factory sale
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