Yi Mu Cao (Leonurus / Motherwort)

Fresh yi mu cao: The seedling stage has no stem, heart-like leaves grow out from base, 5~9 shallow lobes at the edge, each lobe has 2~3 blunt teeth. At the early flowering stage, the stem is square and pillar-like, upper portion is often branched, four sides indented into longitudinal grooves, 30~60cm long, 0.2~0.5cm diameter; externally blue-green, tender texture, fractured surface center has pith. Alternating leaves, with stem; leaf is blue-green, tender texture, juicy when twisted; lower portion has 3 palmate lobes leaves growing from the stem, upper leaves are pinnatipartite or 3 shallow lobes, entire lobe or with few saw-teeth. faint odor, slightly bitter. Dried yi mu cao: stem surface is grayish-green or yellowish-green, light in weight, pliable texture, fractured surface center has pith. Leaf is grayish-green, often wrinkles, broken, easily broken. verticillaster grows at the axils, small flower is pale purple, calyx is tubular, corolla has two lips. Decoction pieces are about 2cm long.