苜蓿根，中药名。为豆科苜蓿属植物紫苜蓿MedicagosativaL.或南苜蓿MedicagohispidaGaertn.的根。紫苜蓿，分布于黄河中下游及西北地区；南苜蓿，分布于江苏、安徽、浙江、江西等地。具有清热利湿，通淋排石之功效。主治热病烦满，黄疸，尿路结石。
Alfalfa R, name of Chinese Medicinal Material. t. It refers to the root of the plant Purple Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) or Spotted Medic (Medicago hispida Gaertn.) in the legume family. Purple Alfalfa is distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the northwest region, while Spotted Medic is distributed in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and other areas. It has the functions of clearing heat, promoting diuresis, and eliminating stones. It is mainly used to treat febrile diseases with restlessness, jaundice, and urinary calculi.

功效作用 Efficacy and Functions

清热利湿，通淋排石。
Clearing heat, promoting diuresis, and eliminating dampness.

主治 Indications

热病烦满，黄疸，尿路结石。
Fever with irritability, jaundice, and urinary stones.

用法用量 Dosage and Administration

内服：煎汤，15-30g；或捣汁。
Internal use: Decoction, 15-30g; or pounded into juice.

药理作用 Pharmacological Effects

抑菌作用。
Antibacterial effect.

相关论述 Relevant Discussion

《新修本草》：“主热病烦满，目黄赤，小便黄，酒疸。”
"Newly Revised Materia Medica": "Used for treating febrile diseases with restlessness and fullness, red and yellow eyes, yellow urine, and alcohol-induced jaundice."

《纲目》：“治砂石淋痛。”
"Compendium of Materia Medica": "Treats painful urinary disorders due to sand and stones."

临床应用 Clinical Applications

1. 治黄疸，尿路结石，南苜蓿根15-30g。水煎服。（苏医《中草药手册》）
   For treating jaundice and urinary stones, take 15-30g of South alfalfa root, decoct in water and take orally. (From "Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual" by Su Yi)

2. 治尿路结石，鲜苜蓿根捣汁温服，每次半茶杯，日服2次。（《吉林中草药》）
   For treating urinary stones, pound fresh alfalfa root into juice and take it warm, half a teacup each time, twice daily. (From "Jilin Chinese Herbal Medicine")

3. 治夜盲症，鲜苜蓿根30g。切碎，水煎服。（《浙江药用植物志》）
   For treating night blindness, take 30g of fresh alfalfa root, chop it, decoct in water and take orally. (From "Zhejiang Medicinal Plants")

加工炮制 Processing and Preparation

采收加工：夏季采挖，洗净，鲜用或晒干。
Harvesting and processing: Harvest in summer, wash thoroughly, and use fresh or sun-dry.

药材鉴别 Medicinal Material Identification

药材性状：根圆柱细长，直径0.5-2cm，分枝较多。根头部较粗大，有时具地上茎残基。表面灰棕色至红棕色，皮孔少且不明显。质坚而脆，断面刺状。气微弱，略具刺激性，味微苦。
Medicinal material characteristics: The roots are cylindrical and slender, 0.5–2 cm in diameter, with numerous branches. The root head is relatively thick, sometimes bearing remnants of aerial stems. Surface is grayish-brown to reddish-brown, with few and inconspicuous lenticels. Texture is hard and brittle, with a prickly fracture. Odor is weak, slightly irritating; taste is slightly bitter.

植物学信息 Botanical Information

植物种属：豆科苜蓿属植物紫苜蓿。
Plant species: Medicago sativa L., belonging to the Leguminosae (Fabaceae) family, genus Medicago.

形态特征 Morphological Characteristics

1. 南苜蓿，别名黄花草子、磨盘草子（《中药大辞典》），苜齐头、草头、金花菜（江苏）。一年生或多年生草本。茎匍匐或稍直立，高约30cm，基部多分枝。三出复叶；小叶柄长约5mm，有柔毛；托叶卵形，长约7mm，宽约3mm，边缘有细裂锯齿。叶片阔倒卵形或倒心形，长1-1.5cm，宽0.7-1cm，先端钝圆或微凹，有细锯齿，基部楔形，上面无毛，下面被疏柔毛，两侧小叶略小。总状花序腋生，有花2-6朵；花萼钟状，深裂，萼齿披针形，有疏柔毛；蝶形花冠，黄色，旗瓣倒卵形，翼瓣椭圆形，龙骨瓣直立；雄蕊10，二体。荚果螺旋形，直径约0.6cm，边缘具有钩的刺。种子3-7颗，肾形，黄褐色。花期4-5月，果期5-6月。
   South alfalfa, also known as yellow flower grass or grinding plate grass ("Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine"), Muqi head, Caotou, Jinhuacai (Jiangsu). It is an annual or perennial herb. Stems are creeping or slightly erect, about 30 cm high, with many basal branches. Trifoliate leaves; leaflet petioles about 5 mm long, pubescent; stipules ovate, about 7 mm long and 3 mm wide, with finely serrated margins. Leaf blades broadly obovate or inversely cordate, 1–1.5 cm long, 0.7–1 cm wide, apex obtuse or slightly concave, finely serrated, base cuneate, glabrous above, sparsely hairy beneath, lateral leaflets slightly smaller. Racemes axillary, with 2–6 flowers; calyx campanulate, deeply lobed, teeth lanceolate, sparsely pubescent; papilionaceous corolla yellow, standard obovate, wings elliptical, keel erect; stamens 10, diadelphous. Pods spirally coiled, ~0.6 cm in diameter, with hooked spines on margin. Seeds 3–7, reniform, yellowish-brown. Flowering April–May, fruiting May–June.

2. 紫苜蓿，多年生草本，高30-100cm。根粗而长。茎直立或有时斜升，多分枝，无毛或疏生柔毛。三出复叶；托叶狭披针形或锥形，长5-10mm，全缘或稍有齿，下部与叶柄合生；小叶长圆状倒卵形、倒卵形或倒披针形，长7-30mm，宽3.5-13mm，先端钝或圆，具小刺尖，基部楔形，叶缘上部有锯齿，中下部全缘，上面无毛或近无毛，下面疏生柔毛。短总状花序腋生，具5-20多朵花，花通常较密集；苞片小，条状锥形；花萼筒状钟形，有毛，萼齿锥形或狭披针形；花紫色或蓝紫色。荚果螺旋形，通常卷曲1-2.5圈，密被毛，无刺。种子小，肾形，1-10颗。花期6-7月，果期7-8月。
   Purple alfalfa, a perennial herb 30–100 cm tall. Roots thick and long. Stems erect or ascending, highly branched, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Trifoliate leaves; stipules narrowly lanceolate or conical, 5–10 mm long, entire or slightly toothed, basally adnate to petiole; leaflets oblong-obovate, obovate, or oblanceolate, 7–30 mm long, 3.5–13 mm wide, apex blunt or rounded with small mucro, base cuneate, upper margin serrate, lower part entire, glabrous or nearly so above, sparsely hairy below. Short axillary racemes with 5–20+ flowers, usually dense; bracts small, linear-conical; calyx tubular-campanulate, hairy, teeth conical or narrowly lanceolate; flowers purple or bluish-purple. Pods spirally coiled, typically 1–2.5 turns, densely hairy, spineless. Seeds small, reniform, 1–10 per pod. Flowering June–July, fruiting July–August.

分布区域 Distribution Area

1. 南苜蓿：分布于江苏、安徽、浙江、江西等地。
   South alfalfa: Distributed in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and other regions.

2. 紫苜蓿：分布于黄河中下游及西北地区。
   Purple alfalfa: Distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the northwestern region.

生长环境 Growing Environment

1. 南苜蓿：栽培或生于排水良好的土壤。
   South alfalfa: Cultivated or found in well-drained soils.

2. 紫苜蓿：生于旷野和田间，我国大部分地区有栽培。
   Purple alfalfa: Grows in open fields and farmland; widely cultivated throughout most parts of China.