A perennial herb growing up to 0.15m. Rhizomes vertical or horizontal, 2-3 mm in diam., internodes 1-2 cm. Leaves paired; petiole 8-18 cm, glabrous or pubescent; leaf blade uniformly colored, cordate or ovate-cordate, 4-11 × 4.5-13.5 cm, abaxial surface pubescent only along veins or densely pubescent, adaxial surface sparsely puberulent, base deeply cordate, lateral lobes 1.5-4 × 2-2.5 cm, apex shortly acuminate or acute; cataphylls reniform-rounded, ca. 1.3 × 1.3 cm. Flowers are hermaphrodite; peduncle declinate, 2-4 cm; calyx dark purple, urceolate to campanulate, 1-1.5 × 1-1.5 cm; sepals connate beyond attachment to ovary, abaxially glabrous; tube subglobose, 6-8 × 1-1.5 cm, adaxially longitudinally ribbed; lobes erect or spreading, triangular-ovate, ca. 0.7 × 1 cm; stamens 12; filaments slightly longer than anthers; connectives shortly extended beyond anthers, awl-shaped; ovary superior; styles free, short, apex shallowly 2-cleft; stigmas lateral.

Anaesthetic, analgesic, antibacterial, antipyretic, antitussive, diaphoretic, diuretic, hypotensive, odontalgic and sternutatory (whole plant); analgesic, expectorant, sedative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic and purgative (roots)

Plants For A Future
Flora of China

The entire plant is used in the treatment of colds, severe toothache, migraine headaches, rheumatic pain, stuffy nose, sinusitis, rhinorrhea and chronic bronchitis with copious and thin phlegm. A decoction of root is used in the treatment of stuffy nose, toothache, headache, rheumatic aches and pains, productive coughing and wheezing.

Contraindicated for use in patients with headache due to hyperactive liver.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 112, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.