(88) Achyranthes bidentata
Acknowledgments
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Boar's knees? Herbal medicine? The unknown secrets of the autumn weed "Achyranthes bidentata" [Plant Walk Radio Report]
Hello everyone! This is the "Plant Walk" radio show.
This time, we are featuring **Achyranthes bidentata (Inokozuchi)**, a classic example of a "hitchhiker" plant that clings to your clothes in autumn fields and roadsides. While it may look like just another weed, we will delve into the origins of its unique name and the profound history of how it has supported human life since ancient times. Nekotsuu-san has shed light on the surprising aspects of this familiar plant.
[First Half Topic ①] The secret of its name and its face as a "hitchhiker"
🌿 According to Nekotsuu-san, Achyranthes bidentata is a perennial herb of the Amaranthaceae family, written in kanji as "猪子槌". This name comes from the swollen shape of the nodes on its stem, which are likened to the knees of a boar's piglet, or to a mallet (tsuchi) used to strike objects. Also, in traditional Chinese medicine, the larger swelling of the nodes is compared to a cow's knee, and it is given the herbal name "Goshitsu (Achyranthes root)".
The fruit of the Achyranthes bidentata that ripens in autumn has small, thorn-like bracts at the tip, which firmly attach to animals and human clothing to carry seeds far away, giving it the aspect of a hitchhiker.
[First Half Topic ②] Use as the herbal medicine "Goshitsu"
In fact, Achyranthes bidentata has long been valued as a medicinal plant. In particular, the dried roots of the Achyranthes bidentata var. japonica, which grows in sunny places, are used as the herbal medicine "Goshitsu". Goshitsu is said to improve blood circulation and strengthen muscles and bones, and is an important ingredient in herbal prescriptions (such as Gosajinkigan) for weakness in the legs and lower back, joint pain, neuralgia, and rheumatism.
[Second Half Topic ①] Use since ancient times and the "Engishiki"
The fact that Achyranthes bidentata was deeply rooted in our lives can also be read from ancient documents. In the "Engishiki" (Procedures of the Engi Era), a legal code from the mid-Heian period, Achyranthes bidentata is recorded under names such as "Koma no Hiza (Horse's Knee)" and "Fushidaka (High Node)", showing that it has been recognized for medicinal and edible (young leaves) use since ancient times.
[Second Half Topic ②] A Surprising Defense Strategy Involving Insect Hormones
Among the characteristics of Achyranthes bidentata, its defense strategy may be the most surprising. It is known that this plant contains compounds related to insect molting hormones (such as ecdysterone). This is a clever natural defense mechanism where the plant causes insects that try to eat it to ingest these components, disrupting their growth and metamorphosis, and ultimately exterminating the pests. While often lumped together as mere weeds, they possess such complex and strategic vitality.
Editor's Note
The Achyranthes bidentata featured this time is a plant known to everyone on the roadside, yet it held many surprising secrets, such as the origin of its name, its history in herbal medicine, and its defense strategy against insects. As Nekotsu-san always says, there is a grand story hidden even in a single casual blade of grass. From now on, I think I will also stop and take a look at the Achyranthes bidentata I see on the roadside. Everyone, please take a moment to check the swelling at the nodes of the Achyranthes bidentata stem.
Reprinted as an article from Stand.FM Nekotsu's Murmuring Radio
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