Are water pinellia and pinellia the same?

Different appearance

Water Pinellia: There are 3 to 4 leaves, one of which is large, and the others are small. The shape of the leaves is also quite special.

Pinellia: 2 to 5 leaves, sometimes only 1 leaf.

The difference between flowers and fruits

Water Pinellia: The flowering period of Water Pinellia is from April to May, and the fruiting period is from June to August;

Pinellia: The flowering period of Pinellia is from May to July, and the fruiting period is August.

Differences in efficacy

The other differences are only to help us distinguish them from each other, but the medicinal effects must not be mixed.

In traditional Chinese medicine, water pinellia is also called mad dog potato, Panax notoginseng, pinellia, and wild pinellia. Don't think that it is the same as pinellia just because it is called pinellia. Water pinellia can treat bronchitis, cough with sputum, poisonous insect bites, unknown swelling, carbuncle, furuncle, etc. It can be taken orally or applied externally.

Pinellia is called differently in different places. For example, in Shandong area, it is called old crow taro, old crow eye, heartless vegetable, heart of field, etc. In Jiangsu area, it is called earth star, old crow head, wild taro, old monk button, old yellow mouth, etc. Yunnan calls it earth pearl pinellia, Guizhou calls it hemp taro fruit, etc. It can be seen how widely the distribution of Pinellia is. It can treat carbuncle, phlegm nodules, plum pit qi, chest and abdominal distension, vomiting and nausea, phlegm headache, wind-phlegm dizziness, phlegm and palpitations, phlegm cough and asthma and other symptoms.

From this we can see that although they have the same name, their medicinal effects are different, and the country also has clear regulations that water pinellia cannot be used to replace pinellia.