Sand Leak Reed

Shaloulü is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine. It is the whole plant of Echinops gmelinii Turcz., a member of the Asteraceae family. It is distributed in Northeast China, as well as Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, and Henan. It has hemostatic and pregnancy-stabilizing effects. It is commonly used for threatened miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage.

Chinese Name : 砂漏芦

Aliases : Shanqianhu Seeds

Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Pungent and sweet in taste; neutral in nature. Enters the Lung Meridian

Benefits & Efficacy

Benefits

Stops bleeding and stabilizes the pregnancy.

Indications

Used for threatened miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage.

Usage and Dosage

Internal use: Decoct 6–15 g.

Applications

Processing & Preparation

Harvesting & Processing

Harvest when the fruit ripens in August–September; sun-dry.

Crude Drug Identification

Botanical Information

Botanical Classification

Asteraceae plant: Sand Blue Thistle.

Morphological Characteristics

An annual or perennial herb, 30–60 cm tall. Unbranched or branched at the base, with glandular hairs. Leaves alternate; sessile; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 2–5 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, with an acute apex, the base semi-clasping the stem, margins bearing white, stiff spines approximately 5 mm long; both surfaces pale yellowish-green; upper leaves with glandular hairs; lower leaves covered with cottony hairs.Compound capitula are solitary at the branch tips, globose, about 3 cm in diameter, white or pale blue; the outer involucral bracts of the florets are white, pappus-like bristles, completely separate;the outer tips of the inner involucral bracts are pointed and awn-like, tapering at the upper end, with both upper margins bearing pinnate cilia; the corolla tube is white, about 3 mm long, with 5 linear lobes that are pale blue and nearly as long as the tube. The achenes are densely covered with tomentum; the pappus is fused at the base. Flowering period: June–September.

Distribution Area

Distributed in Northeast China, as well as Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, and Henan.

Shaloulü is the name of a traditional Chinese medicine. It is the whole plant of Echinops gmelinii Turcz., a member of the Asteraceae family. It is distributed in Northeast China, as well as Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, and Henan. It has hemostatic and pregnancy-stabilizing effects. It is commonly used for threatened miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage.