Objective: To identify the commonly used Chinese traditional herb Rostellularia procumbens (L.) Nees.
Methods: The appearance, morphological features and microscopic characteristics were adopted to identify Rostellularia procumbens (L.) Nees.
Results: Rostellularia procumbens (L.) Nees is an annual herb with typical spike, but without involucre bracts under inflorescence. The corolla appears 2 labiate lips and 2 stamens. The capsularfruit consists of 4 seeds. The stems of the herbs are six-ribbed and cylindrical with the lavender node.The oblong leaves with full margin are wrinkled and bent.The herbs are tasteless. The pollen grains is long-oval shaped with 2-colposate, and the pollen exine presents with concentrated echinate sculpture. Stomata is diacytic type with non-glandular hairs, and mostly consists of 3-5 cells. Glandular scales are more common and composed of 4 cells with intumescent and oblate head. There are numerous long-elliptical or clavate calcium carbonate crystals (cystolith) in the stems and leaves, with papillary protruding.
Conclusions: The appearance, morphological features and microscopic characteristics can be used for the quality identification of Rostellularia procumbens (L.) Nees.
目的: 对民间常用中药爵床进行鉴定。
方法: 观察爵床的原植物形态和药材性状，并在光学显微镜下观察爵床茎、叶和全草粉末的微观形态。
结果: 爵床为一年生草本，具典型的穗状花序，花序下无总苞状苞片，花冠显著二唇形，雄蕊2枚，蒴果种子4粒；药材茎六棱圆柱形，茎节膨大处淡紫色，叶椭圆状长圆形，全缘，味淡。显微镜下可见花粉粒，呈长椭圆形，表面颗粒状雕纹，具有2个萌发孔沟；叶表皮气孔直轴式，非腺毛多数由3~5个细胞组成，腺鳞多见，头部膨大扁圆形，由4个细胞构成；茎、叶中均具有大量长椭圆形或长棒状碳酸钙结晶（钟乳体），具乳头状凸起。
结论: 通过原植物形态、药材性状和显微特征可以对爵床与爵床科其他类似中药进行鉴别。