Ox-Knee (Niu-xi)
Achyranthes bidentata
Family: Amaranthaceae
Herbaceous perennial. The plants make dense bushes, columnar
or ovate in outline, composed of succulent green stalks with red highlights,
conspicuously swollen at the nodes. Very productive. They taste mildly
like beets. The entire herb is much employed in Chinese herbal medicine
for nourishing the kidney and liver, strengthening bones and sinews,
for treating sores of the mouth and tongue. Cultivation: Easy.
Sow in spring directly in the garden or start in flats and transplant.
Plant prefers full sun, fertile yet acid soil, compost, good drainage,
regular and deep watering. Flowers greenish, 2 to 3 feet tall.
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