Stems erect, slender, 30–70 cm tall, emersed. Leaves 40–80 cm long, aerial or floating, lower keeled on abaxial side. Racemes 10–20 cm long; staminate heads 4–8, distinctly separated from pistillate ones; pistillate heads 3–4, relatively widely separated, sessile or the lowest 1–2 pedunculate. Perianth segments of male flowers linear or spathulate, 2–2.5 mm long, lobate at apex; filaments ca. 4 mm; anthers oblong, ca. 1.6 × 0.4 mm; perianth segments of female flowers spathulate, ca. 3.5 mm, lobate at apex; ovary with short stalk; styles ca. 1 mm; stigmas 1.5–1.8 mm. Fruit fusiformis.

Abortifacient, emmenagogue and stomachic

A decoction of the root is used in the treatment of amenorrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating, and abdominal swellings.

Contraindicated in women with menorrhagia and in pregnant women.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 602, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.