“The Four Number One Treasures”

“The Four Number One Treasures”refers to the four kinds of herbs from the Tujia ethnic minority that lives in the Shennongjia Forestry District.They are also called“the Four Great Chinese Medicines,”including“One Flower with Seven Leaves,”“One Pearl on the Head,”“One Writing Brush of Emperor Wen,”and“One Bowlof Water by the River.”

“One Flower with Seven Leaves”

This particular medicine is the dry rhizome of the Liliaceae.It has around seven to ten ovalleaves,which are attached to the tip ofa stem and its flowers can only grow on the blade,and thus the name is given to this plant.For its big and leaf-like outertepals and degraded linearinnerones,with golden colorwhen it’s ripened,itis also named“Paris polyphylla”or“Golden Paris polyphylla;”its rhizome looks something like a conch,so it is known as “conch seven.”This herbal medicine mainly distributes itself in Laojunshan Mountain,Small Shennongjia,and towns like Songluo,Hongping,Dajiuhu ofShennongjia.

Medicinal effects include heat-clearing and detoxifying,alleviating swelling and pain,and is often used for mumps,tonsillitis,sore throat,mastitis,bruising injuries,and carbuncle.It is extremely effective in treating mosquito and snake bites.

“One Pearlon the Head”

The medicine is the rhizome and mature fruit of the Trillium Tschonoskii(literally“Life-prolonging Grass”in Chinese).It has three leaves which are attached to a single stem,and its flowers can only grow on new leaves;it bears round fruits after flowering,and when it’s ripened,these dark purple and shiny fruits look like a girl in a veil with a jewel on her head,thus it is given the name“One Pearl on the Head.”This herbal medicine is mainly distributed in Small Shennongjia,Laojunshan Mountain,and towns like Songluo,Hongping,Dajiuhu of Shennongjia.

Medicinal effects include blood coagulation,alleviation of swelling and pain,dispelling wind,and eliminating dampness,and it is often used for hypertension,neurasthenia,vertigo&headache,and traumatic injury.Trillium Tschonoskii is a rare and endangered plant species,and a third-class protected plant in China.

“One Writing Brush of Emperor Wen”

This plant is a parasitic fungus on the root of other plants,and the dry plant of Balanophora is used as medicinalmaterial.Its inflorescence resembles a thick brush.According to folklore,Emperor Wen of the Zhou Dynasty once used it as a pen to compose poems,draw a picture,and look over the official reports when he stayed in Shennongjia.Hence the plant is known as the“One Writing Brush of Emperor Wen.”It mainly distributes itself in Bancang Village of Hongping Town,Dalongtan of Muyu Town,Xiaguping Town,and otherplaces.

It is used to treat bleeding, promoting granulation, analgesia, and often for stomach diseases, nose hemorrhage, menorrhagia,dysentery,and traumatic bleeding.Also it can be used as a restorative.

“One Bowlof Water by the River”.

The medicine is the dry rhizome of Diphylleia sinensis.Each node of its rhizome has a bowl-shaped pit(stem mark),and it was found at first under the hillside along the river,hence it has the name.For its tawny and whip-like pit,it is also called “Golden Whip Seven”or“Pit Seven.”The herbal medicine mainly distributes in Nicha River,Honghe River,Dajiu Lake,Yazishi,Hongping town,small shennongjia and other places.

It is used to treat blood stasis,inflammatory swelling,and often used for traumatic injury,rheumatoid arthritis, lumbocrural pain, and irregular menstruation.

七葉一枝花One Flower with Seven Leaves

頭頂一顆珠One Pearlon the Head

“四個一”名不虛傳

“四個一”是神農架林區土家人的草藥，被稱為“四大名藥”，包括七葉一枝花、頭頂一顆珠、文王一支筆、江邊一碗水。

七葉一枝花

以百合科(延齡草科)重樓屬植物七葉一枝花的干燥根莖入藥。因其葉多為7至10片，生于莖項，而花單生于葉片之上，故得名“七葉一枝花”。又因花的外輪花被片形大，似葉狀；內輪花被片退化呈長線狀，成熟時為金黃色，故又名“重樓”、“金線吊重樓”；其根莖略似海螺，又稱“海螺七”。主要分布于神農架林區宋洛鄉、紅坪鎮、大九湖鎮，老君山、小神農架等地。

藥效：清熱解毒、消腫止痛。民間常用于治療流行性腮腺炎、扁桃體炎、咽喉腫痛、乳腺炎、跌打損傷、瘡癰腫毒等。此藥外用，治蚊蟲叮咬、毒蛇咬傷有奇效。

頭頂一顆珠

以百合科(延齡草科)植物延齡草的根莖或成熟果實入藥。延齡草是珍稀瀕危物種，為國家三級保護植物。因該植物有3片葉輪生于莖頂端，花單生于輪生葉之上，開花后結圓球形果實，成熟后黑紫色，富光澤，好似一披紗少女頭戴一顆寶珠，因而得名“頭頂一顆珠”。主要分布于神農架宋洛鄉、老君山、紅坪鎮、小神農架、大九湖等地。

藥效：活血止血、消腫止痛、祛風除濕。用于高血壓、神經衰弱、眩暈頭痛、跌打損傷等。

文王一枝筆One Writing Brush of Emperor Wen

江邊一碗水One Bowlof Water by the River

秋色斑斕(張 波攝)Maple trees listen to murnuring of the stream(Photo by Zhang Bo)

文王一支筆

以蛇菰科植物筒鞘蛇菰或蛇菰的干燥全株入藥。其花序形如粗粗的毛筆，民間傳說周文王路經神農架，曾用它當筆寫詩作畫、批閱公文，故得名“文王一支筆”。主要分布于紅坪鎮板倉村、下谷坪鄉、木魚鎮大龍潭等地，寄生于木本植物根上。

藥效：止血、生肌、鎮痛。民間常用于治療胃病、鼻出血、婦女月經出血不止、痢疾及外傷出血等，也可作補藥。

江邊一碗水

以小辟科植物南方山荷葉的干燥根莖入藥。因其根莖的每一莖節處有一碗狀小凹窩(莖痕)，且最初是在河邊高山坡林下發現，故得此名。又因其根莖黃褐色，每節部均有一凹窩，故又名“金鞭七”、“窩兒七”。分布于尼叉河、紅坪鎮、紅河、鴨子石、大九湖、小神農架等地。

藥效：散瘀活血、止血止痛。民間常用于治療跌打損傷、五勞七傷、風濕關節炎、腰腿疼痛、月經不調等。

醉紅九湖（肖華林攝）Leaves dye the mountain red around Dajiu Lake(Photo by Xiao Hualin)