Seven-Star Grass is the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It is the whole plant of Phymatopsis trisecta (Bak.) Ching, a member of the Polypodiaceae family. It is distributed in Sichuan, Yunnan, and other regions. It has diuretic and urinary tract-clearing properties, as well as the ability to clear heat and eliminate toxins. It is commonly used to treat dysuria, cloudy urine, edema, leukorrhea, sore throat, heatstroke, and abscesses and swellings caused by toxins.
Seven-Star Grass
Seven-Star Grass is the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It is the whole plant of Phymatopsis trisecta (Bak.) Ching, a member of the Polypodiaceae family. It is distributed in Sichuan, Yunnan, and other regions. It has diuretic and urinary tract-clearing properties, as well as the ability to clear heat and eliminate toxins. It is commonly used to treat dysuria, cloudy urine, edema, leukorrhea, sore throat, heatstroke, and abscesses and swellings caused by toxins.
Chinese Name : 七星草
Aliases : Goose-Paw Star Grass, Golden Rooster’s Foot, Goose-Paw Star
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Bitter in taste, cold in nature
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Promotes diuresis and relieves dysuria; clears heat and detoxifies.
Indications
Urinary disorders, cloudy urine, edema, leukorrhea, sore throat, heatstroke, and abscesses and swellings caused by toxins.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Decoct 30–60 g; or extract the juice. 2. External use: Apply an appropriate amount after pounding into a paste.
Precautions
Patients requiring treatment with Chinese herbal medicine should first consult a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional pattern differentiation and issue a herbal prescription.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Herbal Materia Medica of Southern Yunnan*: “Treats sand-type dysuria, bloody dysuria, cloudy urine, and cold-type dysuria. It can also be applied to the navel to treat yin-deficiency syndromes, and when applied as a poultice to severe, unnamed sores, it works wonders.”
2. *Illustrated Treatise on Plant Names and Realities*: “Treats the five types of dysuria and cloudy urine; it is also remarkably effective when applied as a poultice to severe, unnamed sores. Additionally, when applied as a hot compress to the navel, it treats yin-cold conditions.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For nephritis: 9 g of Golden Rooster’s Foot (Seven-Star Herb). Steep in boiling water and drink.
2. For damp-heat leukorrhea: 60 g of Golden Rooster’s Foot. Simmer with pork and consume.
3. For sore throat: 30 g of fresh Golden Rooster’s Foot. Pound with cold boiled water to extract the juice and drink.
4. For heatstroke: 30g of fresh Golden Rooster’s Foot. Pound into a paste, extract the juice, and mix with cold boiled water before drinking. (Recipes 1–4 are from *Xichang Chinese Herbal Medicine*)
Notes
Reference: *Chinese Materia Medica 2*
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Can be harvested year-round; wash thoroughly and use fresh or sun-dry.
Crude Drug Identification
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
A plant of the Polypodiaceae family, Trichopteris trifida.
Morphological Characteristics
Plant height: 5–10 cm. The rhizome is slender, weak, and creeping; the apex and the base of the petiole are covered with scales. Leaves are sparsely arranged; petioles are 2.5–5 cm long, straw-colored, attached to the rhizome at the base by a joint, and smooth toward the apex; leaf blades are leathery, ovate-triangular, 3–10 cm long, with a rounded-cuneate or cuneate base, and deeply trilobed;the lobes are oblong to oblong-elliptic, with the central lobe being the longest, ending in a gradually tapering or acute, tail-like tip; the smaller lobes are elliptic, slightly oblique, with cartilaginous margins bearing sparse, shallow notches; lateral veins are prominent. Spore clusters are circular, arranged in a single row on each side of the midrib, slightly closer to the midrib.
Distribution Area
Found in Sichuan, Yunnan, and other regions.