（《纲目》）
【释名】莱（《诗疏》）、红心灰 （《玉册》）、鹤顶草（《土宿本草》）、胭脂菜（详下
文）。
【集解】时珍曰∶藜处处有之。即灰 之红心者，茎、叶稍大。河朔人名落藜，南人名
胭脂菜，亦曰鹤顶草，皆因形色名也。嫩时亦可食，故昔人谓藜藿与膏粱不同。老则茎可为
杖。《诗》云∶南山有台，北山有莱。陆玑注云∶莱即藜也。初生可食。谯、沛人以鸡苏为
莱，《三苍》以茱萸为莱，皆名同物异也。《韵府》谓藜为落帚，亦误矣。《宝藏论》云∶鹤
顶龙芽，其顶如鹤，八九月和子收之，入外丹用。
叶
【气味】甘，平，微毒。
时珍曰∶按∶《庚辛玉册》云∶鹤顶，阴草也。捣汁煮粉霜，烧灰淋汁煎粉霜，
伏矾石，结草砂，制硫，伏汞及雌黄、砒石。
【主治】杀虫（藏器）。煎汤，洗虫疮，漱齿 。捣烂，涂诸虫伤，去癜风（时珍）。
【附方】新一。
白癜风∶红灰 五斤，茄子根、茎三斤，苍耳根、茎五斤，并晒干烧灰，以水一斗煎汤
淋汁熬成膏，别以好乳香半两，铅霜一分，腻粉一分，炼成牛脂二两，和匀，每日涂三次。
（《圣惠》）
茎
【主治】烧灰，和荻灰、蒿灰等分，水和蒸，取汁煎膏。点疣赘、黑子，蚀恶
肉（时珍）。
[Names] Lai (from *Shi Shu*), Hongxin Huili [Red-hearted Chenopodium album] (from *Yu Ce*), Heding Cao [Crane-top Grass] (from *Tusuxiaobencao*), Yanzhi Cai [Rouge Vegetable] (see below).
[Collection and Explanation] Li Shizhen said: Chenopodium album grows everywhere. It is the red-hearted variety of Chenopodium ficifolium, with slightly larger stems and leaves. People in the Hezhou region call it Luoli, people in the south call it Yanzhi Cai, also known as Heding Cao; all are named according to their color and shape. When tender, it is edible, which is why ancients stated that Lihuo [coarse vegetables] differs from Gaoliang [refined food]. When old, the stem can be made into a walking stick. The *Book of Songs* says: "On the southern mountain there are ta plants, on the northern mountain there are lai plants." Lu Ji noted: Lai is Chenopodium. It is edible when first sprouted. In Qiao and Pei regions, people consider Jisu [Elsholtzia splendens] as Lai, and *Sancang* considers Zhuyu [Cornus officinalis] as Lai; these are cases where names are the same but substances differ. *Yunfu* states that Chenopodium is Luozhu, which is also incorrect. *Baozang Lun* states: Heding Longya, its tip resembles a crane's head; collected together with seeds in the eighth and ninth months, used for external alchemy.
Leaves
[Properties and Flavor] Sweet, neutral, slightly toxic.
Li Shizhen said: According to *Gengxin Yu Ce*: Heding is a yin herb. Its juice boiled with powder frost, or ash leached and boiled with powder frost, can subdue Alum stone, form grass cinnabar, control sulfur, subdue Mercury, and realgar and arsenic stone.
[Therapeutic Actions] Kills parasites (from Zangqi). Decocted in water, wash parasitic sores, rinse teeth. Pounded and applied, treats various insect bites, removes vitiligo (Li Shizhen).
[Attached Prescriptions] New prescription one.
Vitiligo: Five jin of Hongxin Huili [Red-hearted Chenopodium album], three jin of eggplant root and stem, five jin of Xanthium sibiricum root and stem, all dried and burned to ash. Decoct in one dou of water, leach the ash to obtain juice, and boil down to a paste. Separately, take half a liang of high-quality Frankincense, one fen of Lead Frost, one fen of Calomel, and two liang of refined beef tallow. Mix evenly. Apply three times daily. (From *Shenghui Fang*)
Stems
[Therapeutic Actions] Burned to ash, mixed in equal parts with Reed Ash and Mugwort Ash. Steeped in water, taken juice, and boiled into a paste. Applied to warts and black moles, cauterizes malignant flesh (Li Shizhen).