Rhodomyrtus, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the fruit of Rhodomyrtus mentosa (Ait.) Hassk., a plant in the Myrtaceae family.It is distributed in Fujian, Taiwan, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, and other regions. It has the effects of nourishing the blood and stopping bleeding, as well as astringing the intestines and consolidating the menstrual cycle. It is used for blood deficiency and physical weakness, hemoptysis, epistaxis, hemoptysis due to overwork, hematochezia, metrorrhagia and menorrhagia, nocturnal emission, leukorrhea, dysentery, rectal prolapse, burns, and bleeding from external injuries.
Myrtle
Rhodomyrtus, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the fruit of Rhodomyrtus mentosa (Ait.) Hassk., a plant in the Myrtaceae family.It is distributed in Fujian, Taiwan, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, and other regions. It has the effects of nourishing the blood and stopping bleeding, as well as astringing the intestines and consolidating the menstrual cycle. It is used for blood deficiency and physical weakness, hemoptysis, epistaxis, hemoptysis due to overwork, hematochezia, metrorrhagia and menorrhagia, nocturnal emission, leukorrhea, dysentery, rectal prolapse, burns, and bleeding from external injuries.
Chinese Name : 桃金娘
Aliases : St. John’s Wort, Mountain Renzi, Mountain Shao, Duolian, Dried Dourenzi, Ren Fruit, Duonai, Mountain Duonai, Suyuanzi, Pomegranate Seed, Bainanzi, Gangren, Shuidaolian, Wuduzi, Danglizi, Duomozai, Renzi
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Taste: sweet and astringent; nature: neutral. Enters the Liver and Spleen meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Nourishes blood and stops bleeding; astringes the intestines and consolidates the menstrual cycle.
Indications
Used for blood deficiency and physical weakness; hemoptysis; epistaxis; hemoptysis due to overwork; hematochezia; metrorrhagia and menorrhagia; nocturnal emission; leukorrhea; dysentery; rectal prolapse; burns; and bleeding from external injuries.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decocted as a soup, 6–15 g (or 15–30 g of fresh material); or steeped in wine. External use: Apply an appropriate amount; burn until charred, grind into a powder, and apply as a poultice.
Precautions
Contraindicated in patients with severe constipation.
Pharmacological Actions
1. Inhibits Staphylococcus aureus. 2. Increases mucus clearance. 3. Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. 4. Toxicity: Non-toxic.
Relevant Discussions
*Guangdong Traditional Chinese Medicine*: “Treats frequent urination at night, tinnitus, and nocturnal emission. When stir-fried until black, it treats menorrhagia.”
Applications
Related Compatibility
1. For blood deficiency: Take 1 kg of ripe Renzi fruit, roast until dry, steam three times, then steep in 1 kg of high-quality wine for one week. Take 30 g three times daily. (*Commonly Used Folk Chinese Herbs of Guangxi*)
2. For nosebleeds: 15 g of dried Renzhi fruit and 2 Tangshi fish; decoct in 3 bowls of water until reduced to about half a bowl; drink the decoction to cure the condition. (From *Lingnan Herbal Compendium*)
3. For gastric and duodenal ulcers: 60 g of Myrtle fruit and 9 g of Acorus tatarinowii. Decoct in water and drink.
4. For colitis: 60g of myrtle fruit, 30g each of Tu Dinggui and wild hemp grass. Simmer in water and drink. (Recipes 3–4 are from *Chronicle of Fujian Medicinal Herbs*)
5. For burns: Take dried Shandonao fruit, calcine it until charred, grind into a fine powder, mix with tea, and apply to the affected area once daily. (*Folk Herbs of Southern Fujian*)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest in the fall when the fruits are ripe, then sun-dry.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
The fruit is oblong-globose, slightly pointed at one end, approximately 1 cm in diameter, with a surface that is earthy yellow or dark greenish-brown. It is relatively hard in texture, with five persistent sepals and the remnants of the style at the apex. Inside are numerous seeds that are yellowish-white and flat. The taste is mild and slightly sweet, with a faintly fragrant aroma. Larger, well-dried fruits are considered superior.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Myrtus, a plant of the Myrtaceae family.
Morphological Characteristics
A shrub 1–2 meters tall; young branches bear grayish-white soft hairs. Leaves are opposite, leathery; leaf blades are elliptic or obovate, 3–8 cm long and 1–4 cm wide, with a rounded or blunt apex that is often slightly indented, sometimes slightly pointed; the base is broadly cuneate; the upper surface is initially hairy but later becomes glabrous and glossy;the underside is covered with gray tomentum; the veins are trifurcated from the base, extending to the apex and joining there; lateral veins are 3–4 mm from the margin; the midrib has 4–6 pairs of lateral veins, with a distinct reticulate venation; petioles are 4–7 mm long.Flowers are long-stalked, usually solitary, purplish-red, 2–4 cm in diameter; the calyx tube is obovate, 6 mm long, with gray tomentum; the calyx lobes are 5, nearly circular, 4–5 mm long, persistent;There are 5 petals, obovate in shape, 1.3–2 cm long; stamens are red, 7–8 mm long; the ovary is inferior, 3-chambered, with a style 1 cm long. The berry is ovoid-urceolate, 1.5–2 cm long and 1–1.5 cm wide, turning purplish-black when ripe; seeds are arranged in two rows per chamber. Flowering occurs from April to May.
Distribution Area
Distributed in Fujian, Taiwan, Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, and other areas.