Lycopus, Bugleweed
Lycopus lucidus
Family: Lamiaceae
What it is like
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. The rhizomes or underground stems are swollen at the tip sometimes with enlarged stolons bearing scale like leaves. The stems are erect. They are 20-70 cm high. The nodes are tinged purple-red. The leaves have very short leaf stalks. The leaf blades are 4-8 cm long by 1.2-2.5 cm wide. The flower heads are round and 1.2-1.5 cm across. The flowers are white.
There are about 10 Lycopus species. They are also used in medicine.
Where it is found
It is a temperate climate plant. In China it grows in marshy grasslands and beside streams. It grows from 300-2600 m altitude in many provinces. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Mongolia, Myanmar, Russia, SE Asia, Taiwan, Tibet
How it is used for food
The rhizomes are prepared as a boiled vegetable. They are also salted. The young stems and leaves are eaten fresh or used in stir fries or for making pickles.
It is a commercially cultivated vegetable.
Edible parts
Root, rhizome, stems, leaves, vegetable, flowers, spice
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Di gua er miao, Di sun, Ganluo, Yebaicai, Zelan