Houttuynia cordata Thunb is a kind of fishy smelling herb. The origin of this name is due to the fishy smell of its leaves. Its scientific name is Houttuynia cordata Thunb.Its alias is still more, in addition to the name, but also called dog ear, fold ear root, dog fly grass, stinky vegetables, etc., the origin of the name is mainly related to the plant itself.However this kind of plant has the very big difference with the dandelion, both is not the identical plant, it is the leaf is the egg shape or the broad egg shape, the base is the heart shape, the flower is the spike, the inflorescence is about 2 centimeters long about, but the dandelion leaf is irregular, the edge sometimes has the serration, or the pinnate deep crack, the flower color is yellow.
There are two widely known varieties of Houttuynia cordata, with some differences.One is the most common, the leaves are heart-shaped, gently rub the leaves will send out a fishy smell, boiled leaves are easy to rot.The leaves of the other kind are slender and pointed, the odor is lighter, not so strong, and the leaves are not easy to boil.These two varieties can be used as medicine, but the former has stronger medicinal properties, and people generally need more of this kind.
