When we were walking on the Erziping trail in Taiwan, a friend pointed to an inconspicuous weed-like plant and said it was a “seven-leaves-one-flower”. I was wondering how this plant had such a strange name and I quickly wrote the name down. Then she took out one thousand-dollar bill and pointed to a picture on it and said that the seven-leaves-one-flower is here. Then I realized that I can’t overlook it. It is native to China, Taiwan, the Indian Subcontinent, and Indochina. It is characterized by a flower emerging from a circle of whorled leaves and the shape of which closely resembles its leaves. It also has high medicinal value.
我們走在二子坪步道上時，朋友指著一株不起眼類似雜草的植物說這是七葉一枝花，我還在想這植物怎麼會有這麼奇怪的名字，趕緊記下來。接著她又拿出千元大鈔，指著上面的一個圖畫說七葉一枝花在這裏。我才意識到我不能小看它。它原產於中國、台灣、南亞次大陸和中南半島。它的特徵是由一圈輪生的葉子中冒出一朵花，花的形狀像極了它的葉子。它也有很高的藥物價值。
Notes 筆記
- Paris polyphylla has many common names. It is native to China, Taiwan, the Indian Subcontinent, and Indochina.
- It is a perennial. It produces spider-like flowers that throw out long, thread-like, yellowish green petals throughout most of the warm summer months and into the autumn. In the fall, the flowers are followed by small, scarlet berries. Its leaves grow in a single whorl below a flower growing in two whorls.
- The generic name Paris is derived from the word pars, or equal, which refers to the symmetry of the plant and the multiples of four in which its foliage, flowers, and fruits grow. The specific epithet, polyphylla, means ‘with many leaves’. So in China it is called “seven-leaves-one-flower”. In Nepal it is called “Love Apple”.
- Paris polyphylla has been used by local inhabitants of Nepal traditionally since ancient times. They use it primarily for fevers and headaches, burns, wounds, and many livestock disease mainly to neutralize poisons. According to the Chinese Baidu website, it has the effects of heat-clearing and detoxifying, reducing swelling and relieving pain. It also can be used to treat swelling and pain, sore throat, snake and insect bites and convulsions.
- 七葉一枝花別名蚤休、蚩休，重台根、整休，草河車，重台草，白甘遂，金線重樓，蟲蔞，九道箍、鴛鴦蟲，枝花頭，螺絲七、海螺七，燈台七，白河車，螺陀三七，土三七，又名七葉蓮。原產於中國、台灣、南亞次大陸和中南半島。
- 它是一種多年生植物。多半在夏季直到秋季，它會生出蜘蛛狀的花朵，這些花朵有長長的線狀黃綠色花瓣。在秋天之後會生出小的深紅色漿果。它的葉子長在一個單輪的下面，一朵花長成兩輪。
- 俗名 Paris 源自 pars 或 equal 一詞，指的是植物的對稱性以及其葉子、花朵和果實生長的四倍數。種小名 polyphylla，是“有很多葉子”的意思。所以在中國被稱為“七葉一枝花”。在尼泊爾，它被稱為“愛蘋果”。
- 尼泊爾居民自古以來便使用七葉一枝花來治療發燒、頭痛、燒傷、傷口和為了中和毒物治療牲畜疾病。根據百度百科七葉一枝花有清熱解毒，消腫止痛，晾肝定驚之功效。用於疔瘡腫痛，咽喉腫痛，蛇蟲咬傷，跌撲傷痛，驚風抽搐。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Paris polyphylla
- 維基百科: 七葉一枝花
- 百度百科: 七叶一枝花
- 健行筆記: 【小知識大發現】仟元鈔票上有哪些動植物，你知道嗎？
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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