Liancheng Cigu (a specialty of Liancheng, Fujian)

Introduction to Liancheng Cigu

Cigu, also known as Scissorgrass, Swallowtail Grass, Vegetable Egg, belongs to the Alismataceae family and is a perennial herbaceous plant. In Liancheng, there has been more than a hundred years of cultivation history. In the county annals, there are wild mushrooms, also known as Cigu mushrooms, which have a sweet taste with a hint of bitterness and Cigu mushrooms, commonly known as vegetable eggs. Originating in China, it is distributed in various parts of the north and south, with more cultivation in the south

Cigu mushrooms contain various alkaloids such as colchicine, which have anti-cancer, anti swelling, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory effects, and are commonly used to prevent and treat tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the compassionate aunt can detoxify and reduce swelling, as well as promote diuresis, and is used to treat various unnamed swelling and venomous snake bites. Cigu contains various trace elements and has a certain cardiotonic effect. At the same time, the water and other effective ingredients contained in Cigu have the effects of clearing the lungs, dissipating heat, moistening the lungs, and stopping cough

Perennial marsh or aquatic herb. The rhizomes are prostrate, and the ends are somewhat swollen into corms. Leaves submerged in water, floating in water, rising in water, submerged leaves in the form of strips or petioles; Floating leaves are oblong lanceolate or ovate elliptical, deeply lobed at the base, 3-10 cm long and 2-7 cm wide; The leaves are arrow shaped, with a total length of 6-15 centimeters and a width of 4-10 centimeters. The top and side lobes are usually nearly the same length, while the sparse side lobes are slightly longer than the top lobe; The length of the petiole varies with water depth, usually with large intercellular spaces, spongy texture, and a sheath like base. The flower stem stands upright, rising out of the water, and is 20-90 centimeters high. The inflorescence is racemose or cone-shaped, with few branches, thin and weak, and has multiple rounds of flowers, with 2-3 flowers per round. Sometimes the flowers and branches grow together in the lower part of the inflorescence. Flower unisexual; The outer whorl is broadly ovate in shape, measuring 5-7 millimeters in length, while the inner whorl is larger than the outer one, sometimes up to 1.2-1.5 centimeters in length. It is white with purple spots at the base; Female flowers usually have (1-) 2-3 whorls, with flower stalks measuring 1-1.5 cm in length, relatively thick, with many carpels, flattened on both sides, and the style slanting upwards from the ventral side; Male flowers have multiple whorls, with thin and weak flower stalks measuring 2-3 centimeters in length. There are many stamens, and the anthers are purple, measuring about 1.2 millimeters in length and 0.5 millimeters in width. They are rectangular in shape, and the filaments are 1-1.5 millimeters long, gradually widening downwards. The achene is obliquely or broadly ovate, measuring 3-4 millimeters in length and approximately 3 millimeters in width, with a neat edge on the fruit wings. The seed is gray brown, about 2 millimeters long and 1 millimeter wide, slightly curved. The flowering and fruiting period is from July to September