A common weed in the countryside

There is a wide variety of common weeds in the countryside, some of which are inconspicuous looking but have medicinal value and other uses. Introducing a common weed - Matang (also called Andrographis paniculata).

Matang is a common wild herb that grows on farmland, roadsides and wasteland. It has a slender stem, between 10-50 centimeters in height, with branches, and the whole plant is covered with fine hairs and is gray-green in color. The leaves of Matang are heart-shaped, relatively small and well arranged, with a glossy surface. Flowering in summer, the flowers are small and dense, and the racemes are in terminal clusters or axillary, and come in colors such as white, lavender, or light blue, which are not only beautiful, but also have medicinal value.

The medicinal part of Matang is the whole grass, which can be used as herbal medicine. Cold in nature and bitter in taste, Matang has the effects of clearing heat and detoxification, eliminating swelling and diuresis, relieving heat and detoxification, activating blood circulation and resolving phlegm, and clearing heat and cooling blood. Folk often use Matang to make tea to treat colds, sore throats, gastritis and other diseases. In addition, Matang can also be used externally to treat itchy skin and other problems.

Not only that, Matang has other application values. For example, Matang can be used as an excellent pasture grass. Although it does not grow too tall, it is relatively drought-resistant and cold-resistant, highly adaptable, and with high nutritional content, it is suitable for cattle, sheep and other livestock. In addition, the soft fiber of Matang can be processed to make fine linen and other items, which is a traditional textile raw material.