Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata

Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata

　　Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata is used medicinally in its dried root form. With a sweet nature and cold taste, it has heat-clearing properties and is used to treat conditions such as fever due to yin deficiency, bone-steaming labor fever, and fever associated with childhood malnutrition. It is one of the indispensable ingredients in traditional Chinese patent medicines such as Wuji Baifeng Pills. This herb is a native medicinal material of Ningxia and has long been distributed and sold throughout China.

The Stellaria dichotoma var. lanceolata produced in Ningxia is of high quality and has long been favored for its fine skin, light yellow color, thick roots, and few branches. It is mainly distributed in counties such as Taole, Yanchi, Lingwu, Tongxin, and Zhongwei. It grows in arid desert steppes characterized by little rainfall, hot climates, and undulating sand dunes. The formation of this medicinal material takes several years to even decades. (Yinchuan)