The scientific name of a one-leaf plant is Nervilia fordii (Hance) Schultze, belonging to the Orchidaceae family (Orchids). It is also known as “thanh thiên quỳ,” “lan một lá,” “lan cờ,” “châu diệp,” “slam lài,” “bửa thoọc” (in Tày language), “bầu thoọc,” and more.
A one-leaf plant is a native plant, a perennial herb that grows 10-20cm tall. It has a very short stem, a large round tuber, milky white in color, with many nodules on the tuber weighing up to 1.5-20g. It has only one leaf that emerges from the stem after the flowers wither.
The leaf is heart-shaped, green in color, arranged in palmate veins, with a diameter of 10-25cm and undulating margins. The veins spread evenly from the leaf stalk, which is 10-20cm long and pinkish-purple in color.
This plant prefers shade, especially damp environments, and can often be found growing in rock crevices or on soil with a thick layer of moss under dense evergreen forests or broadleaf trees. It has a distribution range from 600-1500m in elevation.
The flowers are sparse, 15-20 in number, forming clusters or inflorescences, white in color with pink or slightly greenish-yellow spots. The sepals and petals are similar. The lip has three lobes, with numerous veins, hairy in the middle section, and the side lobes and terminal lobes are triangular in shape, with a long column measuring 6mm, swollen at the top.
The flower cluster has a long stem of 20-30cm.
The plant blooms from March to May and produces capsules from April to June. When the flowers bloom, the upper part of the flower cluster gathers together, resembling a lantern. The fruit is diamond-shaped with a small corolla that looks like a small green plum, measuring 2-3cm in length. The capsule contains many small seeds. The tubers are formed from May to November. The tubers of a one-leaf plant enter a dormant state from November to March of the following year before becoming active again.
Usually after the flowers wither, new leaves develop, so we can only see the plant with flowers or fruits, without leaves, or only see the plant with one leaf.
A one-leaf plant naturally regenerates through its tuberous rays, so in a natural group of plants, there are often plants of different ages.
In Vietnam, this plant is often found in limestone mountainous areas and wet areas at the foot of the mountains. The plant is commonly found in Lao Cai, Hoa Binh, Ninh Binh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Ha Tay, Son La, Lai Chau, and more.
Some medicinal treatments from a one-leaf plant
The one-leaf plant has high medicinal value, with different parts of the plant used in various applications. The leaves and tubers of the plant have a slightly sweet, slightly bitter taste and are used as medicine for cooling the body, moistening the lungs, relieving coughs, dispersing masses, detoxifying, and relieving pain. This plant is also being studied for its potential in treating lung cancer and throat cancer.
– Detoxification: Take 2-3 one-leaf plant leaves, wash them thoroughly, then dry and cut them into small pieces. Steep them in boiling water for a few minutes, then strain the liquid to drink. Drink it three times a day.
– Treating tuberculosis and cough: Use 10-20 one-leaf plant leaves daily to brew tea or steam with rock sugar or prepare it as a liquid extract for drinking, which is also very effective.
– Treating inflammation, boils, and ulcers: Use fresh one-leaf plant leaves, crush them into a paste, and apply them to painful areas or apply them to boils, ulcers, and skin infections. It is very effective.
– Acute mouth and throat inflammation: Take a few fresh leaves of a one-leaf plant, wash them clean, and chew them thoroughly.
– Assisting in treating tuberculosis of the organs: Take approximately 15g of one-leaf plant and cook it with pork. Eat it as a soup.
– Helping children digest food and prevent malnutrition: Take 5-10g of one-leaf plant tubers, cook them with lean pork or chicken eggs as a side dish with rice.
– Nourishing the body: Soak about 1kg of dried one-leaf plant leaves and tubers in 5 liters of alcohol. The minimum soaking time is 30 days. Drink a small glass of the mixture once a day.
Note: The one-leaf plant has many medicinal uses, but it should not be abused. If you need to use it, you should consult with a doctor or specialized physicians to be instructed on the proper dosage and usage to ensure the best effect in reducing the illness.
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