Hawthorn Berry (Round slices, curled, yellow pulp, purplish-red edges, seeds visible) (Pomegranate mouth)

Hawthorn Berry without seeds, with seeds, seeds (Good sourness, small spherical shape in the South, sliced in the North)

Stir-fried Hawthorn Berry

Charred Hawthorn Berry

Hawthorn Berry Charcoal

【Name】

Hawthorn Berry

n 【Source】n

Newly Revised Materia Medica‧Shan Zha (Hawthorn Berry)

n 【Common Usage Level】n

B

n 【Botanical Origin】n

Dried, ripe fruit of the Rosaceae family Hawthorn Berry Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. var. major N. E. Br. or Wild Hawthorn Berry Crataegus cuneata Sieb. et. Zucc.

n 【Characteristics】n

(1) Northern Hawthorn Berry: Spherical, about 2.5 cm in diameter. Deep red, shiny surface covered with fine, grayish-white spots; persistent calyx at the top, and residual fruit stalk marks at the base.n(2) Southern Hawthorn Berry: Roughly spherical, 0.8~1.4 cm in diameter, some flattened into a disc shape. Grayish-red surface with fine lines and small spots, a pit at the top with remnants of sepals, and residual fruit stalk marks at the base. Hard texture, large core, thin pulp, brownish-red color. The aroma is sour, slightly astringent, and slightly bitter.nnPrepared drug pieces:n1. Northern Hawthorn Berry: 3~5 mm thick transverse slices or round slices, thick slices, large fruit with thick pulp, mostly curled and uneven, deep yellow to light brown pulp, purplish-red or reddish-brown edges with wrinkles, and grayish-white spots. Deep yellow to light brown pulp. The transverse section shows 5~6 light yellow seeds, some seeds may have fallen off; some slices show short fruit stalks or concave calyx remnants. Slightly fragrant aroma, sour and slightly sweet taste.n2. Southern Hawthorn Berry: The fruit is shaped like a sphere (or flattened), with a concave top and calyx remnants; the surface is red, wrinkled and uneven, with small grayish-white spots, hard in texture, thin pulp, the inner petals are yellow or light brown, 5 fruit cores, large core and good quality. Slightly fragrant aroma, sour and slightly sweet taste.n3. Stir-fried Hawthorn Berry has a yellow surface, and charred Hawthorn Berry has a charred brown surface.

n 【Processing】n

1. Raw Hawthorn Berry 2. Stir-fried Hawthorn Berry 3. Charred Hawthorn Berry 4. Hawthorn Berry Charcoal

n 【Identification】n

“Ren Shu Bian Lan” (A Convenient Handbook of Benevolent Arts): “Southern Hawthorn Berry is better.” “Ben Cao Qiu Zhen” (Seeking Truths in Materia Medica): “The larger ones are good.” “Good and Bad Identification”: “The ones with large grains and red color are superior.”nNorthern Hawthorn Berry is considered superior when it is large, red in color, has thick pulp, and is hard in texture when pressed into a disc shape. Southern Hawthorn Berry is considered better when it is dry, has uniform grains, large slices, red skin, thick pulp, and firm texture.

n 【Identification Terminology】n

1. Pomegranate Mouth: Hawthorn Berry has raised residual sepals at the top, with a sunken center, shaped like the sepals of a pomegranate. Northern Hawthorn Berry and Southern Hawthorn Berry are found on the Taiwan market, but they are generally sliced, mixed and not distinguished. Northern Hawthorn Berry, which has a stronger sour taste, should have better quality and efficacy than Southern Hawthorn Berry.

n 【Category】n

Fruits