Several aliases of Houttuynia cordata, and several varieties of Houttuynia cordata

1. Aliases

Houttuynia cordata is a fishy herb. The name comes from the fishy smell of its leaves. Its scientific name is Houttuynia cordata Thunb. It has many aliases. In addition to this name, it is also called dog-eared grass, dog-eared root, dog fly grass, stinky vegetable, etc. The origin of the name is mainly related to the plant itself. However, this plant is very different from dandelions. The two are not the same plants. Its leaves are oval or broadly oval, with a heart-shaped base, and its flowers are spike inflorescences, about 2 cm long. The leaves of dandelions are irregular, sometimes with serrated edges, or deep pinnate fissures, and the flowers are yellow.

2. Varieties

There are two widely known varieties of Houttuynia cordata, which are slightly different. One type is the most common, with heart-shaped leaves. If you rub them gently, they will emit a fishy smell, and the leaves will rot easily if boiled in water. The leaves of the other type are slender and pointed, with a lighter and less strong smell, and the leaves are not easy to rot when cooked. Both varieties can be used as medicine, but the former has stronger medicinal properties, and people generally need more of this type.