What is Fish Mint?
28-09-2023
1 min read
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Overview:
The medicinal properties and benefits of fish mint have been documented in ancient texts of traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, as well as Ayurveda and Siddha.
About Fish Mint
- It is an herbal plant full of medicinal properties and grown on the ground with wide leaves.
- Scientific Name: Houttuynia cordata
- Other Names: It has many names, such as Bishop’s Weed, Chinese Lizard Tail, Fish Wort, Fish Leaf, Rainbow Plant and Chameleon Plant.
- Despite being called “fish mint”, it’s not a member of the mint family. It does, however, spread aggressively like mint.
- Distribution: Its native range extends from the Himalayan foothills through Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan.
- Habitat: It thrives in wet locations and can even grow partially submerged in water.
- Features:
- It is an herb with beautiful white flowers and broad, heart-shaped leaves.
- Unlike its appearance, it has a fish-like taste and smell. Hence, the name, fish mint.
- The plants grow to 2 to 3 feet in height with a spread of 3 feet.
- The stems of this plant are climbing tender vines. The color of its stem is medium to light green, and its leaves are of dark to medium green color.
- It is considered an invasive plant because of its ability to regrow from underground rhizomes, which are fragile and break off easily, forming new plants when disturbed.
- Medicinal Properties: It is used to treat digestive issues, insect bites, fevers, coughs, influenza, kidney ailments and a host of other ailments.
- The leaf is used in many Asian cuisines as a vegetable or fresh herb, and fish mint root can also be eaten.
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Q1) What are Rhizomes?
Rhizomes are specialized underground plant structures that serve various functions, including storage of nutrients, water, and carbohydrates, as well as vegetative reproduction. They are stem-like structures that grow horizontally beneath the soil surface, giving rise to new shoots and roots. Rhizomes are found in many different plant species and play a crucial role in the growth and survival of these plants.
Source: This herb tastes and smells like fish; it has recognised health benefits