Yunnan’s Herbal Treasures

When talking about Yunnan, apart from the “Eighteen Oddities,” this land of natural beauty is home to countless plant and animal resources. Hence, the title of “Kingdom of Flora and Fauna” rightfully belongs to Yunnan! Many of these natural plants are not only edible but also excellent for nourishing and regulating the body.

By combining medicinal herbs with food, the nutritional value and health benefits of dishes can be enhanced. Yunnan’s traditional Chinese medicine is increasingly utilized, so be sure to keep these herbs in mind!

1. Camellia山茶花
   • Characteristics: Camellia is a commonly seen plant often used for ornamental purposes in gardens. However, it also has medicinal value.
   • Benefits: It is primarily used to stop bleeding, effective for symptoms like vomiting blood, nosebleeds, and external wounds.
2. Big Eared Grass大虎耳草
   • Region: Mainly distributed in the southwestern regions.
   • Benefits: This plant is used to treat conditions such as carbuncles, measles, coughs, bronchitis, vomiting blood, snake bites, and skin ulcers. It is applied externally for wounds and internally for internal injuries.
3. August Fruit八月瓜
   • Description: August fruit is a plant with significant medicinal value, widely used in clinical medicine.
   • Benefits: It is used to treat edema, rheumatic pain, bruises, and lactation issues. Its primary use is in decoction for internal consumption.
4. Wild Loquat野枇杷
   • Description: Prefers warm, humid environments, shaded, and avoids direct sunlight. Grows well in soil rich in humus and well-drained.
   • Benefits: Used for cough suppression, phlegm removal, blood circulation, diuresis, and detoxification. It treats chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis cough, hemoptysis, fatigue, joint pain, hepatitis, and hypertension.
5. Wild Grape野葡萄
   • Description: A perennial climbing herb, smaller in size compared to grapes, found in places like Qujing, Dali, and Wenshan in Yunnan.
   • Benefits: It helps in dispelling wind and dampness, cooling, diuresis, and reducing swelling. It is used for internal wind-dampness, summer heat, and urinary issues.
6. Goat’s Milk (Local Name)羊奶奶
   • Description: Sweet and edible when ripe. Roots, leaves, and fruits are used medicinally. Grows in the mountains of Yunnan.
   • Benefits: Used for wind-dispelling, activating channels, pain relief, liver and kidney health, and improving blood circulation. It is effective for rheumatic arthritis, gastrointestinal inflammation, and lumbar muscle strain.
7. Chinese Yam淮山药
   • Characteristics: Sweet in taste, neutral in nature. Affects the spleen, lung, and kidney meridians.
   • Benefits: Strengthens the spleen, nourishes the stomach, generates fluids, and benefits the kidneys. It helps balance hormones, maintains energy, and aids in tissue repair. It can prevent and alleviate conditions like malignant tumors, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, heart disease, obesity, and dementia.
8. Panax Notoginseng三七
   • Function and Indications: Dispels blood stasis, stops bleeding, reduces swelling, and relieves pain. Used for hemoptysis, hematemesis, epistaxis, rectal bleeding, uterine bleeding, external bleeding, chest and abdominal pain, and contusions.
9. Goji Berry枸杞
   • Function and Indications: Nourishes liver and kidneys, benefits vision. Used for deficiency and fatigue, lower back and knee pain, dizziness, tinnitus, internal heat, and eye disorders.
10. Astragalus黄芪
    • Function and Indications: Boosts qi, strengthens the exterior, promotes diuresis, expels toxins, and aids wound healing. Used for qi deficiency, fatigue, poor appetite, prolapse, rectal bleeding, sweating, and edema.
11. Hawthorn山楂
    • Function and Indications: Aids digestion, strengthens the stomach, and promotes qi movement and blood circulation. Used for food stagnation, stomach distension, diarrhea, menstrual disorders, and high cholesterol.
12. Angelica当归
    • Function and Indications: Nourishes blood, invigorates circulation, regulates menstruation, and relieves pain. Used for blood deficiency, dizziness, irregular menstruation, abdominal pain, constipation, rheumatism, and wounds.
13. Gastrodia Elata天麻
    • Description: Moist but not dry, primarily enters the liver meridian. Effective for calming the liver and extinguishing wind. Mainly grown in Zhaotong, Yunnan.
    • Benefits: Used for calming the liver, treating headache, dizziness, epilepsy, and tetany. It helps relieve symptoms caused by internal wind and phlegm.
14. Aged Tangerine Peel陈皮
    • Characteristics: Warm, pungent, and bitter; enters the spleen and lung meridians.
    • Function: Regulates the middle jiao, disperses qi and phlegm, and smooths the five zang organs.
15. Longan桂圆
    • Benefits: Tonifies the heart and spleen, nourishes blood, and calms the mind. Used for qi and blood deficiency, palpitations, memory loss, insomnia, and pallor.
16. Lily百合
    • Function: Nourishes yin, moistens the lungs, clears the heart, and calms the mind. Used for chronic cough due to yin deficiency, phlegm with blood, restlessness, and insomnia. It has a soothing effect on the lungs and mind.
17. Corn Silk玉米须
    • Benefits: Sweet, bland, neutral; enters the kidney, liver, and gallbladder meridians. It promotes diuresis, reduces swelling, and supports liver and gallbladder health. Used for edema, urinary issues, jaundice, cholecystitis, gallstones, hypertension, and diabetes.
18. Red Bean红豆
    • Characteristics: Sweet and neutral. Strengthens the spleen, resolves dampness, disperses blood stasis, and detoxifies.
    • Uses: For edema, beriberi, postpartum lactation issues, diarrhea, jaundice, and hemorrhoids.
19. Almond杏仁
    • Characteristics and Effects: Rich in protein, fats, sugars, carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin P, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Bitter, slightly warm, with minor toxicity. Moistens the lungs and relieves constipation. Used for lung heat, cough, dry throat, and constipation.
20. Luo Han Guo罗汉果
    • Characteristics and Effects: Sweet and cool, clears heat, moistens the lungs, and relieves cough and constipation.
21. Perilla紫苏
    • Description: A commonly used herb, available in purple, green, and white varieties, with green being more common. Perilla is pungent, warm, and affects the spleen and lung meridians.
    • Benefits: Perilla leaves and stems have warming, dispersing, and chest-opening effects. The leaves are good for dispersing cold and regulating qi; the stems help with chest opening and pain relief. Perilla can enhance the flavor of grilled meats and aid digestion.
22. Licorice甘草
    • Function and Indications: Strengthens the spleen, boosts qi, clears heat and toxins, resolves phlegm, relieves pain, and harmonizes other herbs. Used for spleen deficiency, fatigue, palpitations, cough with phlegm, abdominal pain, sores, and toxicity.
23. Snakeberry蛇莓
    • Note: Not for consumption.
    • Medicinal Use: Clears heat, cools blood, reduces swelling, and detoxifies. Used for heat illnesses, convulsions, cough, vomiting blood, sore throat, dysentery, abscesses, carbuncles, and snake bites.

Other herbs include mountain raspberries, strawberries, mulberries, and tea herbs.

Cynanchum otophyllum (Common Name: Qingyangshen/青羊参) is a perennial, herbaceous, climbing vine belonging to the Apocynaceae family and the genus Cynanchum. The roots are cylindrical, gray-black, with a diameter of about 8 mm, and the stem is covered with two rows of hairs. The leaves are opposite, membranous, ovate-lanceolate, 7-10 cm long, 4-8 cm wide at the base, with an apex that is long and gradually pointed, and a base that is deeply ear-shaped and heart-shaped. The leaf ears are rounded and drooping, with both sides covered in soft hairs.

The inflorescence is an umbellate cyme that grows axillary, with about 20 flowers. The calyx is covered with fine hairs on the outside and has five glands on the inner base. The corolla is white, with long, oval lobes that are covered with fine hairs on the inside. The corona is cup-shaped, slightly longer than the corolla, with lobes having a small tooth in the middle, which may be folded or missing. The pollen sacs are each in one chamber and are pendulous. The stigma is slightly bilobed. The follicles are either paired or only one develops, short lanceolate, about 8 cm long and 1 cm in diameter, tapering towards the end, with a narrower base and the outer fruit skin has vertical stripes. The seeds are ovate, 6 mm long and 3 mm wide, with white, silky hairs that are 3 cm long. The flowering period is from June to October, and the fruiting period is from August to November.

Habitat and Distribution

This plant grows in mountainous areas, valleys, sparse forests, or along slopes at elevations of 1500-2800 meters. It is distributed in the provinces of Hunan, Guangxi, Guizhou (including counties and cities such as Weining, Nayong, Songtao, Xingyi, Xingren, Anlong, Huangping, Leishan, and Panxian), Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet in China.

Main Value

Properties and Effects: Spicy, sweet, and warm; slightly toxic. It is used to dispel wind and dampness, benefit the kidneys and strengthen the waist, and detoxify snake and dog bites.

Common Formulas:

1. For treating trauma and muscle pain: Use 50 grams of Cynanchum otophyllum, soaked in medicinal wine, and take orally.
2. For treating fractures and pain: Use 100 grams of Cynanchum otophyllum, along with 30 grams each of Jiangjin leather and redleaf epimedium, and 20 grams each of Xiaoxueteng and pine penhead. Crush and stew the mixture, then apply it externally to the affected area.

Main Chemical Components: Contains palmitic acid esters, vanillic acid, Cynanchum otophyllum saponin aglycone, cowhide saponin, digitalis glycosides, and β-sitosterol.

Modern Research: Pharmacological studies show that it has anticonvulsant, anti-experimental epilepsy, and protective effects on lymphocyte DNA. In modern clinical practice, it is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, trauma, chronic lower back pain, dyspepsia, abdominal bloating and pain, and insect and snake bites.

The Common Alstonia Leaf灯台叶 (Alstonia scholaris) is the dried leaf of the Alstonia tree, which belongs to the Apocynaceae family and the Alstonia genus. The branches are arranged in whorls, contain latex, and are hairless. The leaves are also arranged in whorls, and they can be obovate, lanceolate, spoon-shaped, or occasionally oval to elongated oval. The leaves are hairless, with a rounded, blunt, or slightly notched apex, occasionally acute or gradually pointed, and a wedge-shaped base. The flowering period of Common Alstonia Leaf is from June to November, and the fruiting period is from October to April of the following year. The Alstonia tree is commonly referred to as the lampstand tree, and its leaves are used medicinally, hence the name “lampstand leaf.”

Common Alstonia Leaf is distributed in southern and western Guangxi and southern Yunnan in China, as well as in Cambodia, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, subtropical regions of Australia, and the Philippines. It grows in low hilly areas with sparse forests and prefers moist, fertile soils. The propagation methods for Common Alstonia Leaf include seed propagation and tissue culture for rapid multiplication.

Scientific Classification:

• Family: Apocynaceae (Dogbane family)
• Genus: Alstonia
• Species: Alstonia scholaris (also known as Alstonia)

Botanical Description:

• Leaves: Opposite, lanceolate to elliptic, or spoon-shaped, sometimes ovate or long-ovate. The leaves are glabrous, with a rounded or slightly notched apex, and a wedge-shaped base.
• Flowers: Bloom from June to November.
• Fruits: Mature from October to April of the following year.
• Tree: Often referred to as the “lampstand tree” due to its medicinal leaves.

Distribution:

• Regions: Southern and western Guangxi, southern Yunnan in China, as well as in Cambodia, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Australia (subtropical regions), and the Philippines.
• Habitat: Prefers moist, fertile soils in low hills and sparse forests.

Reproduction:

• Methods: Propagated by seeds and tissue culture (fast propagation).

Uses:

1. Medicinal Value:
   • Applications: Commonly used in formulations to treat bronchitis. It has good anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and cough-suppressing properties.
   • Benefits: Economical and widely applicable medicinal herb.
2. Ornamental Value:
   • Appearance: The tree is valued for its attractive shape, elegant leaves, and white flowers. Post-flowering, the green leaves contrast with the red fruits, creating a visually appealing combination.
   • Uses: Suitable for parks, gardens, streets, scenic areas, and landscaping due to its aesthetic appeal.
3. Industrial Use:
   • Wood: The tree trunk provides high-quality timber.
   • Latex: The white latex can be processed into gum base for chewing gum.

Summary: Lampstand leaf (Alstonia scholaris) is a versatile plant known for its medicinal properties, ornamental appeal, and industrial uses. It thrives in subtropical regions and is valued both for its practical applications in medicine and its aesthetic qualities in landscaping.

Snowy Aconite (Radix Aconiti Brachypodi) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Aconitum. The root is upright, carrot-shaped with a brown outer skin. The stem is upright, either unbranched or branched, covered with sparse, curved, and appressed short hairs. The leaves are alternate, broadly ovate, and either hairless on both sides or with sparse short hairs on the veins of the underside. The inflorescence is terminal and dense, with leaf-like bracts; the fruit is a follicle; and the seeds are numerous. The flowering period is from September to October, and the fruiting period is from October to November. Snowy Aconite is named for its appearance resembling mugwort and its growth in alpine meadows.

Snowy Aconite is distributed in the southwestern part of Sichuan and the northwestern part of Yunnan. It commonly grows in alpine meadows at high altitudes, often on shady slopes, with soil best being fertile, loose, black humus soil. It is usually propagated by seeds and root buds.

Snowy Aconite has some medicinal value; it is bitter, pungent, and warm in nature, entering the liver and kidney meridians. It can be used to dispel wind and dampness, disperse blood stasis and reduce swelling, invigorate blood circulation, relieve pain, and detoxify carbuncles. However, due to its highly toxic nature and lack of proper preparation, it is not suitable for internal use.

Botanical History

Snowy Aconite is named for its growth in alpine meadows and its mugwort-like appearance.

Morphological Features

Snowy Aconite is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Ranunculaceae family, genus Aconitum. The tuberous root is obconic, 2.3-3.6 cm long, 9-11 mm in diameter, or nearly cylindrical, about 7 cm long and 5 mm in diameter. The root is upright with a carrot-like brown outer skin. The stem is upright, 40-65 cm tall, either unbranched or branched, covered with sparse, curved, appressed short hairs, and leaves are spaced evenly along the stem. The lower leaves wither during flowering. The middle stem leaves have short petioles and are hairless; they are alternate, leathery, pentagonal, sometimes roundish or broadly ovate, 5.5-9 cm long, 8-10 cm wide, with a base that is heart-shaped or shallowly heart-shaped, sometimes round, deeply three-lobed to 1.5-2 cm from the base, with central lobes that are ovate-diamond-shaped, gradually tapering, with edges sparsely toothed with triangular teeth, and veins somewhat raised forming an obvious network. The leaves are hairless on both sides or with sparse short hairs on the veins of the underside; the petioles are 2.2-3 cm long and cylindrical. The upper stem leaves become smaller, broadly ovate or diamond-shaped, three-lobed slightly beyond the middle, sometimes narrowly ovate, with few divisions. The inflorescence is terminal and dense, with 1-6 flowers, 2.2-3 cm long; the peduncle and pedicels are hairless; the pedicel is about 1 cm long and slightly bent downward. The bracts are leaf-like, with small bracts that are lanceolate to lance-shaped linear, 3-8 mm long and about 1.5 mm wide, almost hairless; the calyx is blue, with the upper calyx lobe helmet-shaped or high helmet-shaped, 2.4-3.2 cm high, 5-10 (-15) mm wide, hairless, with the lower edge slightly concave, 1.5-2.4 cm long; the petals have long claws, hairless, with large lobes, the lip about 6 mm long, the spur 5-7 mm long, curved backward; the stamens are hairless, with filaments having 2 small teeth or entire; the pistil has 3 carpels, hairless. The achene is 1.6-1.8 cm long; the fruit is a follicle; the seeds are numerous, obconic-triangular, about 2 mm long, with transverse membranous wings on the surface. Flowering occurs from September to October, and fruiting from October to November.

Habitat and Distribution

Snowy Aconite (Radix Aconiti Brachypodi) is found in the southwestern region of Sichuan and the northwestern region of Yunnan. It typically grows in alpine meadows at altitudes of 3000-4000 meters, favoring shady slopes with fertile, loose black humus soil.

Cultivation Techniques

Snowy Aconite is generally propagated by seeds or root buds.

Seed Propagation: Seeds are sown in early May, spread evenly, and the soil should be kept moist. After one year of seedling growth, the plants can be transplanted.

Root Bud Propagation: The upper third of the root is cut off and, before or just after the first snowfall in November, the root buds are planted at a spacing of 21 cm x 21 cm, 4-6 cm deep.

Field Management: Regular weeding is necessary. To promote healthy growth, apply soil manure or wood ash once a year.

Main Value

Snowy Aconite has notable medicinal properties; it is bitter, pungent, and warm in nature, and enters the liver and kidney meridians. It is used to dispel wind and dampness, reduce blood stasis and swelling, invigorate blood circulation, relieve pain, and detoxify carbuncles. However, due to its highly toxic nature and lack of proper preparation, it should not be taken internally.

Pharmacological Properties:

• Taste and Nature: Bitter, pungent, warm, with significant toxicity. It enters the liver meridian.
• Functions: Dispels wind-dampness, invigorates blood circulation, and relieves pain.
• Applications: Useful for various types of pain, as it is warming and dispersing, and effective in treating many kinds of pain. It is also used for carbuncles, tumors, insect and snake bites, with external application recommended for such conditions.

Botanical Pharmacology

Modern clinical research indicates that Snowy Aconite is warm, bitter, and pungent, with significant toxicity. It can dispel wind and dampness, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain. It is used for rheumatic bone pain, bruises, and toothaches with notable efficacy. Due to its toxicity, it is primarily used externally, and internal use should be under strict medical supervision. Typical internal dosage ranges from 25-50 mg per day, with a maximum of 70 mg.

Snowy Aconite’s pharmacological components, including aconitine, benzoylaconine, and others, have analgesic effects, with some showing strong local anesthetic properties. For instance:

• Aconitine and benzoylaconine exhibit significant pain relief.
• 3-acetylaconitine is a non-addictive painkiller with effects on inflammation and tissue swelling.
• Aconitine also has a digitalis-like effect on frog hearts, counteracted by atropine.

Toxicity and Safety

Snowy Aconite is extremely toxic, and its treatment dose is close to its toxic dose. It has been included in the National Special Management Drug list due to its severe toxicity. In mice, the median lethal dose (LD50) for aconitine is about 0.08-0.3 g/kg body weight, with signs of toxicity including strong vagal nerve stimulation, salivation, vomiting, abdominal pain, arrhythmias, hypotension, shock, respiratory distress, or convulsions leading to coma or death.

Precautions:

• Toxicity: Highly toxic; internal use requires proper preparation and strict dosage control.
• Contraindications: Avoid use in pregnant women, the elderly, children, and patients with heart disease or ulcers.
• Dietary Restrictions: Avoid raw, cold foods, legumes, and red meat during treatment.
• Alcohol: Avoid alcohol-based preparations internally.

In case of poisoning, symptoms include severe vagal nerve stimulation and may lead to respiratory and circulatory failure.

Chemical Components

Snowy Aconite (Radix Aconiti Brachypodi) contains various alkaloids, including:

• Aconitine
• Deoxyaconitine (3-deoxyaconitine)
• Acetylaconitine (3-acetylaconitine)
• Penduline (snowy aconitine)
• Laxiconitine
• Songorine (from Xuanwei Aconite)
• Neoline
• 14-Acetylneoline
• Denudatine
• Songoramine
• Flavaconitine
• Virescenine
• Aconifine (also known as nagarine)

Usage and Dosage

Dosage:

• Oral Administration: Common dose is 25-50 mg. Maximum dose is 70 mg.
• External Use: Apply an appropriate amount mixed with alcohol.

Clinical Applications:

1. Pain Relief:
   • Effective for various types of pain including rheumatic pain, neuralgia, toothache, trauma pain, postoperative pain, and cancer pain. Can be used in powdered form, mixed with alcohol for external application, or as an injection.
2. Treatment of Sores and Toxicities:
   • Used for sores, swelling, and insect or snake bites. The toxic properties can be harnessed to counteract other toxins when applied externally.

Usage Precautions:

• Internal Use: Must be processed and dosed carefully. Not suitable for pregnant women, the elderly, children, or individuals with heart conditions or ulcers.
• Dietary Restrictions: Avoid raw, cold foods, legumes, and red meat during treatment. Avoid alcohol-based preparations internally.

Modern Research

Chemical Constituents:

• Includes several types of aconitine, such as aconitine, deoxyaconitine, acetylaconitine, penduline, and others.

Pharmacological Effects:

• Pain Relief: Various alkaloids in Snowy Aconite exhibit significant analgesic effects. For example, 3-acetylaconitine is a non-addictive painkiller with effects on inflammation and tissue swelling. The total alkaloids of the plant have strong local anesthetic properties.
• Cardiac Effects: Shows digitalis-like effects on frog hearts; these effects can be counteracted by atropine.
• Anti-Cancer: Xuanwei Aconite has demonstrated anti-tumor properties.
• Reproductive Effects: Some alkaloids have been noted for anti-fertility activity.
• Toxicity: Can cause arrhythmias and hypotension.

Clinical Research

Clinical Applications:

• Used as an injectable or topical treatment for rheumatic arthritis, joint pain, trauma, fractures, and postoperative pain with notable efficacy.
• A study used a formulation of Snowy Aconite powder with wintergreen leaf powder and other ingredients to treat patellar fractures, showing significant effectiveness in 42 out of 50 cases.

Adverse Reactions:

• Toxicity: Overdose, ingestion of raw or improperly processed form, or misuse with alcohol can lead to severe poisoning, including abdominal pain, vomiting, salivation, numbness, palpitations, hypotension, dizziness, muscle rigidity, seizures, and potentially death.
• Treatment for Poisoning: Early gastric lavage, intravenous fluids, and atropine administration are recommended. Additional treatments include quinidine, procainamide, and supportive therapies with substances like bamboo shoots, coriander, and licorice.

Additional Information

Other Variants Used in Folk Medicine:

• Liangshan Aconite (Aconitum liangshanicum)
• Jiangzi Aconite (Aconitum ludlowii)
• Short-stalked Aconite (Aconitum sessiliflorum)

Snowy Aconite is a potent medicinal herb with a range of applications but requires careful handling due to its high toxicity.

Xuejie血竭 (Blood Stasis Resin) also named Qilinjie麒麟竭is a traditional Chinese medicine made from the resin exuded from the fruit of the palm plant Calamus draco. This plant is distributed in Indonesia, including Java, Sumatra, and Borneo. Xuejie is known for its properties of invigorating blood and relieving pain, resolving stasis and stopping bleeding, and promoting wound healing and tissue regeneration. It is used to treat trauma and bruises, abdominal pain due to blood stasis, external bleeding from injuries, and non-healing sores.
Botanical Name: Calamus draco

Definition: Blood-stopping resin known as Xuejie is derived from the fruit of the palm plant Calamus draco. It is processed from the resin exuded from the fruit. The plant is distributed in Indonesia, particularly in Java, Sumatra, and Borneo.

Part Used:

• Resin exuded from the fruit of the plant.

Properties:

• Taste: Sweet, salty.
• Nature: Neutral.

Meridian Affinities:

• Heart and Liver meridians.

Functions:

• Invigorate Blood & Alleviate Pain: Enhances blood circulation and relieves pain.
• Resolve Stasis & Stop Bleeding: Resolves blood stasis and helps to stop bleeding.
• Promote Wound Healing: Assists in the healing of wounds and sores.

Indications:

• Used for treating trauma and bruises, abdominal pain from blood stasis, external bleeding from injuries, and non-healing sores.

Formulations:

1. For Abdominal Pain:
   • Combine Xuejie, Frankincense (乳香), Myrrh (没药), and Coptis (孩儿茶) in equal amounts. Take with warm wine to relieve pain.
2. For Postpartum Hemorrhage:
   • Place Xuejie and Frankincense inside the cavity of a fish, burn in a cloth bag, grind into powder, and take with hot wine.
3. For Postpartum Bleeding and Chest Fullness:
   • Mix Xuejie and Myrrh with child’s urine and wine, then consume.

Dosage and Administration:

• Internal Use: 1-2 grams in powdered form, or included in pill formulations.
• External Use: Apply as a powder or in plasters.

Precautions:

• Use cautiously during pregnancy.
• Avoid use during menstruation.

Processing:

• Collection and Preparation:
  • Harvest the fruits in autumn, cook in a steamer to extract the resin, which solidifies. Grind the solidified resin into a fine powder.
• Processing Method:
  • Remove impurities and grind into fine particles or powder.

Botanical Characteristics:

• Plant Type: A perennial, evergreen vine, growing 10-20 meters long.
• Stem: Covered with leaf sheaths and sharp spines.
• Leaves: Pinnate compound, with alternate arrangement at the tips and sometimes near opposite at the base. Leaflets are linear-lanceolate, 20-30 cm long, 3 cm wide, with sharp tips and narrow bases. Leaf stalks and axils have sharp spines.
• Flowers: Inflorescences are spikes with pale yellow, unisexual flowers. Male flowers have six stamens and elongate anthers. Female flowers have six sterile stamens and one pistil with a bottle-shaped ovary covered in scales. The stigma is trifid.
• Fruit: Drupe-like, oval-spherical, about 2-3 cm in diameter, reddish-brown with yellow scales. The fruit contains deep red resin, which exudes from beneath the scales and solidifies into a blood-like substance.

Habitat:

• Grows in humid, tropical regions, particularly in Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, Borneo).

Medicinal Characteristics:

• Appearance: Slightly rounded, square, or brick-shaped, dark red with a shiny surface, covered with red powder from friction. Hard and brittle with a red fracture surface. Turns brick-red when powdered.
• Odor and Taste: Slight odor, bland taste.
• Solubility: Insoluble in water, softens in hot water.

Historical and Classic References:

1. Compendium of Materia Medica (本草纲目):
   • Describes Xuejie as a resin similar to human blood, with sweet and salty taste, primarily affecting the liver and heart meridians.
2. Materia Medica (本经逢原):
   • Used for treating pain from injuries and blood stasis. Xuejie is especially potent for liver blood issues but should be used cautiously due to its strong action.

Xuejie is highly valued in traditional medicine for its diverse therapeutic effects, particularly in managing trauma, wound healing, and addressing blood-related conditions.

Red Snow Tea红雪茶, also known as Deer Heart Snow Tea or Golden Silk Tea, grows on the dead trunks of larch and fir trees in the mossy plant belt of snow-capped mountains at elevations above 4000 meters. It is a rare and precious natural wild plant. When brewed with boiling water, the tea has a bright red color similar to red wine, and the leaves unfurl like coral. The taste is pure with a slight hint of shade aroma. Red Snow Tea has been used in Tibetan medicine for several centuries. Modern medical research shows that it is rich in essential trace elements and offers benefits such as lowering blood lipids and cholesterol, clearing the mind, and nourishing the heart. It is effective for conditions such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, obesity, and general weakness. As a naturally wild plant, it cannot be cultivated artificially. It is a pure natural product with no toxic side effects, making it an excellent choice for health and gifting.

Growing Environment:

• Temperature: Red Snow Tea grows at altitudes of 4000-5000 meters on snow-capped mountains, grasslands, and rocky surfaces. The annual average temperature is around 15°C. At altitudes above 3000 meters, temperatures are below 14°C. In July, the average temperature is 28.2°C, while in January, it is 2.1°C. Spring and autumn temperatures are cool and mild, with averages of 15.4°C in April and 16.7°C in October. The average frost-free period is 210-220 days, with the first frost date around November 5 and the last frost date around March 29. Stable temperatures above 10°C start around April 15 and end between November 4-9. The accumulated temperature above 0°C ranges from 5085 to 5500°C, and above 10°C ranges from 4384 to 4750°C.
• Sunlight: The total annual solar radiation is 506.18 kJ/cm², with 369.69 kJ/cm² of solar radiation during the period with average daily temperatures above 0°C, accounting for 73% of the annual total. The annual sunshine hours are between 2000 and 2230, with an average sunshine percentage of about 50%, indicating relatively abundant light energy resources.
• Precipitation: The annual average precipitation is between 1200 and 1400 mm. Statistics show that over a 25-year average, spring accounts for 28.9%, summer 41.1%, autumn 19.4%, and winter 10.6% of the total precipitation. The annual average number of precipitation days is 125.6, with a relative humidity of 80% and a dryness index below 0.8, indicating a humid zone.
• Soil: Soil types are complex. In the mid-mountain (inner mountain) areas, the predominant soil type is yellow-brown soil, including ordinary yellow-brown soil and mountain yellow-brown soil, with parent material mainly consisting of granite, granite gneiss, and amphibolite gneiss. These soils have high organic matter content, good fertility, and permeability, with a pH of 4.8-5.5. In the outer mountain hill and ridge areas (outer mountain), yellow-brown soil derived from the Shuxian formation is common. Although the soil layer is thick, the plow layer is shallow and clay-heavy, often with an impermeable clay pan layer at the bottom. Fertility and permeability are relatively poor, with a pH of 5-6.5. Along riverbanks and valleys, there are also alluvial soils, such as sandy loam (black sandy soil), with deep soil layers, high fertility, and good permeability, generally found in high-yield tea plantation areas.

Distribution Range

Red Snow Tea is distributed across six provinces and regions in China: Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Tibet, Yunnan, and Sichuan. The main distribution centers are in southeastern Tibet, northwestern Yunnan, and western Sichuan. Red Snow Tea typically grows in high-altitude areas (3000 to 5800 meters), often attaching to trees such as cypress and spruce, as well as fir, alpine rhododendron, and Emei rose.

Main Values

Modern scientific research confirms that aged Red Snow Tea not only offers the health benefits of other teas but also has more pronounced effects and benefits. It can significantly lower triglycerides and harmful low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) in the blood, increase beneficial high-density cholesterol (HDL), and promote the excretion of cholesterol and fatty compounds through feces. The polysaccharides, fiber, caffeine, and phosphoric acid in the tea have strong fat-decomposing effects. Catechin compounds also help break down fats, reducing cholesterol and neutral fats in the blood and liver.

Anti-Aging and Anti-Radiation: The trace elements, catechins, and vitamins in Red Snow Tea can form stable substances with free radicals, blocking their interaction with macromolecules, alleviating the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, inhibiting lipid peroxidation, and clearing free radicals, thus delaying aging. Catechins and polyphenolic compounds in Red Snow Tea can absorb radioactive substances, reducing the risk of absorbing them and providing anti-radiation benefits.

Anti-Cancer: Components such as tea pigments, tea flavonoids, catechins, and their oxidation, degradation, and complex products are important for cancer prevention and treatment. They have strong abilities to kill cancer cells and block the formation of carcinogenic nitroso compounds, inhibiting certain enzymes that activate carcinogens. The various substances in Red Snow Tea, such as catechins, β-carotene, and vitamins B1, B2, C, and E, play significant roles in cancer prevention.

Health Benefits: Red Snow Tea has a refreshing aroma and a slightly bitter taste, containing various beneficial components that help eliminate internal waste and toxins. It is rich in beneficial substances like snow tea acids, scale acids, horned-leaf acids, mannitol, and D-arabinose, as well as essential vitamins and trace elements. Red Snow Tea has cooling, thirst-quenching, heat-clearing, detoxifying, liver-soothing, and pressure-lowering medicinal values. In Lijiang, Red Snow Tea has a long history of consumption and was a tribute product during the Ming Dynasty. According to the Compendium of Materia Medica, Red Snow Tea is described as not a true tea but a natural herb that is roasted and used as a tea substitute, providing warmth, a bitter taste, and a pleasant fragrance.

Red Snow Tea, with its high content of polysaccharides, tea flavonoids, tea pigments, trace elements, and fiber, offers numerous health benefits, including heat-clearing, thirst-quenching, liver-cleansing, and vision-improving effects. It is considered a superior choice for various health conditions, including high blood pressure, neural weakness, throat inflammation, and more.

Chemical Components of Red Snow Tea

Phenolic Acids and Derivatives:

• Phenolic acids are major secondary metabolites in lichens. From golden thread lichen, snow tea, and related plants, 19 phenolic acid compounds have been isolated.
• Active Ingredient: Snow tea acid (雪茶素) exhibits anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. The main component, usnic acid (松萝酸), is present in concentrations of 0.74% to 0.91% and has antimicrobial activity.

Steroids:

• Steroidal Compounds isolated from ethanol extracts of snow tea include ergosterol peroxide and β-sitosterol.
• From acetone extracts, compounds such as 3β-hydroxy-5α,8α-epoxyergosta-6,22-diene, 3β-hydroxy-5α,8α-epoxyergosta-6,9,22-triene, ergostane-7,22-diene-3-ol, and ergostane-5,8,22-triene-3-ol have been identified.

Polysaccharides:

• Polysaccharides from plants, including snow tea, are notable for their unique physiological activities and low toxicity, making them valuable in clinical applications.
• Snow tea polysaccharides are composed of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, and glucose, with molecular ratios of 0.77:1.00:0.54:3.39:17.03.

Volatile Oils:

• Extraction Method: Steam distillation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) have identified 67 volatile components in Red Snow Tea.
• Main Components: The primary constituents are alcohols and esters. Notable volatile components include long-chain alkanes, sesquiterpenes and their derivatives, unsaturated aldehydes and ketones, olefins, esters, and alcohols. The predominant compound is palmitic acid (28.52%), a major component of the essential oil.

Inorganic Elements:

• Lichens, including snow tea, are known for accumulating metal elements. Seven medicinal lichens have been tested for trace elements, revealing that snow tea contains 11 essential trace elements, including high levels of silicon (Si) and iron (Fe), which are beneficial for the body. Selenium (Se) content is also present, which may relate to the anti-cancer properties of lichens.
• Nutritional Profile: Red Snow Tea is rich in essential minerals, with a high potassium (K) and low sodium (Na) profile. Such dietary characteristics are beneficial for maintaining acid-base balance and normal blood pressure, aiding in the prevention and management of hypertension.

Other Components:

• Red Snow Tea also contains fatty acids, nucleic acids, carotenoids, polyols, free amino acids, and various phenolic substances.

Harvesting

Red Snow Tea grows in the snow line zone, with optimal growing and reproductive periods limited to 2-3 months each year, characterized by slow growth. During snow cover, the plant is dormant but resumes growth once temperatures rise. Harvesting typically occurs from May to October after the snow has melted. The entire plant is collected, impurities are removed, and it is then dried.

Gentiana crassicaulis粗茎秦艽 (Family: Gentianaceae), commonly known as Rough-stemmed Gentian, is a perennial herb that grows to a height of 30-40 cm. The plant is smooth and hairless throughout, with its base wrapped in persistent fibrous leaf sheaths. It has many fibrous roots, and the few branches grow in clusters. The rosette leaves are ovate-elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 12-20 cm long and 4-6.5 cm wide, with blunt or acute tips, gradually tapered bases, slightly rough edges, 5-7 veins that are prominent on both sides and raised underneath. The leaf stalks are wide, 5-8 cm long, and covered by persistent fibrous leaf sheaths. The stem leaves are ovate-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 6-16 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, with blunt to acute tips, blunt bases, slightly rough edges, 3-5 veins prominent on both sides and raised underneath. The petioles are wide, nearly sessile to up to 3 cm long, with the leaves becoming larger and the petioles shorter towards the top of the stem, where the upper leaves are densely clustered, enveloping the inflorescence.

The flowers are numerous, sessile, clustered at the top of the stem in head-like formations or occasionally axillary in whorls. The calyx is membranous, 4-6 mm long, with one side split into a Buddhist-like bract, the tip being truncate or rounded, with 1-5 very small, conical teeth, 0.5-1 mm long. The corolla tube is yellowish-white, with the corolla lobes being blue-purple or deep blue, spotted inside, funnel-shaped, 2-2.2 cm long. The lobes are ovate-triangular, 2.5-3.5 mm long, with blunt tips, entire margins, and slightly oblique folds, triangular, 1-1.5 mm long, with blunt tips and irregular fine teeth. The stamens are inserted in the middle of the corolla tube, with filaments being filiform, 7-8 mm long, and the anthers being narrowly oblong, 1.5-2.5 mm long. The ovary is sessile, narrow-elliptic, 8-10 mm long, with a tapered tip, and the style is linear, 2-2.5 mm long, with a two-lobed stigma. The capsule is enclosed, sessile, elliptical, 18-20 mm long, with shiny reddish-brown seeds, oval, 1.2-1.5 mm long, with a fine reticulate surface. The flowering and fruiting period is from June to October.

Growing Environment: It grows in alpine meadows, slopes, roadside, high mountain grasslands, wastelands, shrubs, forest understories, and forest edges at altitudes of 2100-4500 meters. It does not have strict environmental requirements but prefers a cool, humid climate with ample sunlight. It is cold-resistant, dislikes waterlogging, and young seedlings are sensitive to strong light. The plant grows best in loose, fertile, deep humus-rich soils and sandy loams.

Distribution: It is found in southeastern Tibet, Yunnan (Lijiang, Weixi, Zhongdian, Deqin), Sichuan, northwestern Guizhou, southeastern Qinghai, and southern Gansu in China. It is also cultivated in Lijiang, Yunnan.

Main Value: Rough-stemmed Gentian is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM); its medicinal name is Qin Jiao. It mainly contains alkaloids and has a bitter, pungent taste, and is neutral in nature with no toxicity. It is used to dispel wind and dampness, harmonize the blood and relax the muscles, clear heat, and promote urination. It is used to treat rheumatic pain, muscular and skeletal rigidity, jaundice, blood in the stool, bone fever, childhood nutritional heat, and difficulty urinating.

Medicinal Uses:

1. Dispel Wind and Dampness: Qin Jiao has a bitter taste and neutral nature, affecting the liver, stomach, and lung meridians. It can be used to alleviate rheumatic pain and muscle and joint stiffness.
2. Relax Muscles and Tendons: Qin Jiao helps to relax muscles and tendons, easing rheumatic pain and muscle weakness.
3. Clear Heat and Detoxify: Qin Jiao clears heat and detoxifies, which can help with heat-related sores, throat pain, and oral ulcers.
4. Promote Urination and Reduce Swelling: It has diuretic and anti-swelling properties, useful for edema, urinary difficulties, and dysuria.
5. Cough and Asthma Relief: Qin Jiao can help with coughs, asthma, chest tightness, and excessive phlegm.

Protection Status: Listed as Near Threatened (NT) in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Rough-stemmed Gentian generally refers to Qin Jiao, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine for its various therapeutic effects, including dispersing wind, relieving dampness, relaxing tendons, clearing heat, promoting urination, and alleviating cough and asthma.

He Shou Wu何首乌 (Pleuropterus multiflorus (Thunb.) Nakai), also known as Ye Jiao Teng, Zi Wu Teng, Duo Hua Liao, and Jiu Zhen Teng, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Polygonaceae family. Its tuberous roots are long and elliptical, dark brown in color; the stems are twining; the leaves are ovate or long-ovate with a pointed tip and a heart-shaped or near-heart-shaped base; the inflorescences are panicle-like, either terminal or axillary, with white or pale green perianths, and the perianth segments are elliptical. The achenes are ovate, three-angled, and dark brown. The flowering period is from August to September, and the fruiting period is from September to October.

He Shou Wu typically grows in valleys, thickets, forest understories, and crevices at altitudes ranging from 200 to 3,000 meters. It thrives in warm, humid climates, tolerates shade, and dislikes drought and waterlogging. It is highly adaptable to its environment, preferring deep, loose, fertile, humus-rich, moist, and well-drained sandy soil. He Shou Wu is native to China, Thailand, and Vietnam, and has since been introduced to Japan, Korea, and the Caucasus region. In China, it is primarily distributed in southern Shaanxi, southern Gansu, East China, Central China, and South China.

The tuberous roots and leaves of He Shou Wu can be used as traditional Chinese medicine. The roots are known for nourishing the blood, replenishing yin, and moistening the intestines to relieve constipation. They are used to treat symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, insomnia, soreness in the waist and knees, premature graying of hair, tinnitus, and nocturnal emissions. The leaves have detoxifying properties, can dissolve nodules, kill parasites, and relieve itching, and are used to treat ulcers, scabies, and other skin conditions. He Shou Wu has long, vigorous vines and can be planted along walls or rocks. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant due to its attractive appearance.

In the culinary field, He Shou Wu can be made into various medicinal dishes and health products. It is also commonly used in cosmetics for hair care, including promoting hair growth. The tuberous roots can be used to produce starch or brewed into wine, and the filtrate can be developed into a natural insecticide.

Other Names: Shou Wu, Di Jing, Chi Lian, Chen Zhi Bai, Hong Nei Xiao, Ma Gan Shi, Chuang Zhou, Shan Nu, Shan Ge, Shan Bo, Shan Weng, Shan Jing, Ye Jiao Teng Gen, Huang Hua Wu Gen, Xue Wa Wa, Xiao Du Gen, Tian Zhu Tou, Tie Cheng Tuo, Chi Shou Wu, Shan Shou Wu, Yao Shou Wu, He Xiang Gong.

Properties and Channels: Bitter, sweet, astringent in taste; slightly warm in nature; enters the liver and kidney channels.

Functions: Processed: Tonifies essence and blood; Raw: Detoxifies, stops malaria, and moistens the intestines to relieve constipation.

Indications:

1. Essence and blood deficiency, dizziness, premature graying of hair, soreness in the waist and knees: Processed He Shou Wu is good for tonifying the liver and kidneys, benefiting essence and blood, and darkening the hair.
2. Prolonged malaria, abscesses, scrofula, dry intestines, and constipation: Raw He Shou Wu has effects on stopping malaria, detoxifying, and moistening the intestines to relieve constipation.

Related Formulas:

1. To treat blood deficiency, pallor, insomnia, and forgetfulness, it is often used with prepared Rehmannia, Angelica sinensis, and Ziziphus jujuba seeds.
2. To treat essence and blood deficiency, soreness in the waist and legs, dizziness, premature graying of hair, and infertility due to kidney deficiency, it is used with Angelica sinensis, wolfberry fruit, and Cuscuta chinensis seeds, such as in Qibao Meiran Dan (from “Jishan Tang Fang”).
3. To treat liver and kidney deficiency, soreness in the waist and knees, dizziness, tinnitus, and deafness, it is often combined with mulberry fruit, black sesame seeds, and Eucommia ulmoides, as in Shou Wu Yan Shou Dan (from “Shi Bu Zhai Yi Shu”).
4. To treat prolonged malaria with qi and blood deficiency, raw He Shou Wu can be used with ginseng, Angelica sinensis, tangerine peel, and ginger, as in He Ren Yin (from “Jingyue Quanshu”).
5. To treat scrofula, ulcers, and skin itching, it can be combined with self-heal, Fritillaria thunbergii, and Angelica sinensis (from “Bencao Huiyan”).
6. To treat generalized swelling, itching, and pain, it can be decocted with fangfeng, Sophora flavescens, and peppermint, as in Shou Wu San (from “Wai Ke Jing Yao”).
7. To treat constipation in the elderly and those with blood deficiency and dry intestines, it can be combined with Cistanche, Angelica sinensis, and hemp seed to moisten the intestines and relieve constipation.

Flowers and Fruits: The inflorescence is cone-shaped, terminal or axillary, 10-20 cm long, with spreading branches, fine longitudinal ridges, and covered with small protrusions along the ridges. The bracts are triangular-ovate with small protrusions, pointed tips, and each bract contains 2-4 flowers. The flower stalks are slender and weak, 2-3 mm long, with joints at the lower part, extending during fruiting. The perianth is deeply 5-lobed, white or pale green, with the perianth segments being elliptical, unequal in size, the outer three segments larger with wings on the back, enlarging during fruiting, and the perianth becoming nearly round with a diameter of 6-7 mm. There are 8 stamens, with the filaments being wider at the base. The ovary has 3 very short styles with a capitate stigma. The achenes are ovate, three-angled, 2.5-3 mm long, shiny dark brown, enclosed in the persistent perianth.

Distribution: He Shou Wu is native to China, Thailand, and Vietnam, and has been introduced to Japan, Korea, and the Caucasus region. In China, it is primarily distributed in southern Shaanxi, southern Gansu, East China, Central China, South China, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou.

Growing Environment: He Shou Wu grows wild in shrublands, hills, slopes, forest edges, or roadside embankments, commonly found in valleys, forest understories, and crevices at altitudes ranging from 200 to 3,000 meters.

Growing Habits: He Shou Wu prefers a warm, humid climate, tolerates shade, and dislikes drought and waterlogging. The ideal temperature for seed germination is 20-25°C. It is highly adaptable to its environment and thrives in deep, loose, fertile, humus-rich, moist, and well-drained sandy soils. Excessive rainfall or waterlogged fields can lead to poor growth or root rot. The flowering period is from August to September, and the fruiting period is from September to October.

Precautions: Use with caution in cases of diarrhea and phlegm dampness. Avoid using iron utensils.

Dosage and Administration:

• Internal Use: Decoction, 10-20 g; can be prepared into pills, powders, or tinctures.
• External Use: Apply as needed, using the decoction for washing, powdered form for sprinkling, or mixed with other substances for topical application.

For blood tonification and yin nourishment, use processed He Shou Wu. For intestinal lubrication, wind-dispelling, malaria treatment, and detoxification, use raw He Shou Wu.

Harvesting and Processing: Harvest the tuberous roots after the stems and leaves wither in autumn or before new shoots emerge the following year. Remove the ends, clean, slice, and dry or lightly roast to produce raw He Shou Wu. If steamed with black beans and then dried, it turns black and is called processed He Shou Wu.

Salvia miltiorrhiza紫丹参 is a perennial, erect herbaceous plant in the Lamiaceae family and the genus Salvia. The plant can grow up to 80 cm tall; its main root is fleshy and deep red; the stems are heavily branched and covered with long, soft hairs; the leaves are odd-pinnate with oval or broad-lanceolate leaflets, and the petioles are densely covered with backward-facing long soft hairs. The inflorescence is a whorled cyme, densely covered with long soft hairs or glandular soft hairs, with lanceolate bracts. The calyx is bell-shaped and purple, while the corolla is purple-blue. The filaments are 3.5-4 mm long, and the connective is 1.7-2 cm long, with the style extending outward. The nutlets are oval in shape. The flowering period is from April to August, and the fruiting period is from September to November.

Distribution: Salvia miltiorrhiza is distributed in China across regions such as Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, and Jiangsu, and it is also cultivated in Japan. It grows on slopes, under forest thickets, or near stream valleys at altitudes of 120-1300 meters. The plant prefers a mild and humid climate, is cold-tolerant, highly adaptable, and is suitable for cultivation in sunny locations with deep, well-drained sandy soils. Propagation is generally carried out by seeds, root division, or cuttings.

Medicinal Uses: The root of Salvia miltiorrhiza can be used as medicine and contains tanshinone, which is a potent emmenagogue. It has the effects of removing stasis, promoting new tissue growth, invigorating blood circulation, and regulating menstruation. It is primarily used to treat uterine bleeding, menstrual irregularities, blood stasis, abdominal pain, and dysmenorrhea. It is also effective in treating coronary heart disease. Additionally, it is used to treat neurasthenia and insomnia, joint pain, lymphadenitis, carbuncles, and swellings, as well as acute and chronic hepatitis, and pyelonephritis. Externally, it can be used to wash lacquer sores.

Botanical History

Historical Records: Salvia miltiorrhiza was first recorded in the “Shennong Bencao Jing” (Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica), where it was classified as a top-grade herb. The text states: “Salvia miltiorrhiza has a bitter taste and slightly cold nature; it mainly treats pathogenic factors in the heart and abdomen, bowel sounds as if water is running through, accumulations of cold and heat, dissolves abdominal masses, and stops irritability and fullness, tonifies Qi.” Subsequent materia medica texts throughout history also discussed it. For instance, “Wu Pu Bencao” mentions: “Salvia miltiorrhiza is also known as Red Ginseng or Wood Lamb’s Milk, found in Tongbai or on the shady slopes of Mount Tai. The stems are small, square like Perilla, with hair; the root is red; it flowers purple in April, and the roots are harvested in March and May, then dried in the shade. It treats heart and abdominal pain.” “Tang Bencao” states: “This herb is best harvested in winter, but if collected in the summer months, it will be less effective.” “Tujing Bencao” notes: “Salvia miltiorrhiza grows in the valleys of Tongbai Mountain and Mount Tai, and now it is also found in the states and counties of Shaanxi and Suizhou. It sprouts in February, grows to about a foot tall, with square green stems. The leaves grow opposite each other, similar to mint but with hair. It flowers in March with red-purple blooms, resembling the flowers of Perilla. The root is red, as thick as a finger, and over a foot long, with multiple roots per plant. It is harvested in May and sun-dried.” It also mentions that the herb collected in winter is of good quality, whereas the one collected in summer is inferior. The accompanying illustration of Suizhou Salvia miltiorrhiza is included in this text. “Bencao Gangmu” states: “It is found in mountains everywhere, with five leaves per branch. The leaves are pointed like wild Perilla, green, hairy, and wrinkled. The small flowers are spike-like, resembling moths, with tiny seeds inside. The root skin is red, and the flesh is purple.” The descriptions of Salvia miltiorrhiza in the “Shennong Bencao Jing” to the “Bencao Gangmu” all refer to the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., a species in the genus Salvia.

Morphological Characteristics:

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a perennial erect herb; its root is thick, fleshy, red on the outside, and white on the inside, 5-15 cm long, and 4-14 mm in diameter, with sparse lateral roots. The stems are erect, 40-80 cm tall, square, grooved, densely covered with long soft hairs, and heavily branched. The leaves are often odd-pinnate, with leaf stalks 1.3-7.5 cm long, densely covered with downward long soft hairs; the leaflets are 3-5 (7), 1.5-8 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, oval, or elliptic-oval, or broad-lanceolate, with an acute or acuminate apex, rounded or oblique base, and serrated margins. The texture is herbaceous, with sparse hairs on both surfaces, denser underneath. The leaflet petioles are 2-14 mm long, densely covered with long soft hairs like the leaf axis. The inflorescence is a whorled cyme with 6 or more flowers, sparse at the lower part and dense at the upper part, forming a 4.5-17 cm long, pedunculate, terminal, or axillary raceme; the bracts are lanceolate, with a tapering apex, wedge-shaped base, entire margins, hairless on the upper surface, sparsely hairy underneath, and shorter or longer than the pedicels; the pedicels are 3-4 mm long, the rachis is densely covered with long soft hairs or glandular long soft hairs.

The calyx is bell-shaped, purple, about 1.1 cm long, slightly enlarging after flowering, with sparse long soft hairs and glandular long soft hairs on the outside, with marginal hairs, densely covered with white stiff hairs inside the midsection, with 11 veins, and is bilabiate; the upper lip is entire, triangular, about 4 mm long, 8 mm wide, with three small apices, the lateral veins having narrow wings, the lower lip is almost as long as the upper lip, deeply divided into two triangular teeth with a tapering apex. The corolla is purple-blue, 2-2.7 cm long, externally covered with glandular short soft hairs, especially dense on the upper lip, with an oblique, incomplete, short soft hairy ring 2-3 mm above the corolla tube base; the corolla tube extends outward, shorter than the corolla limb, with a basal width of 2 mm, gradually widening upward, reaching 8 mm at the throat; the corolla limb is bilabiate, the upper lip is 12-15 mm long, falcate, upright, slightly notched at the apex, the lower lip is shorter than the upper lip, 3-lobed, the middle lobe is 5 mm long, 10 mm wide, with a 2-lobed apex, and the lobe margins have irregular teeth; the lateral lobes are short, rounded at the apex, and about 3 mm wide.

There are two fertile stamens extending to the upper lip; the filaments are 3.5-4 mm long, the connectives are 17-20 mm long, slightly covered with sparse short hairs at the joint in the middle, the upper arm is very elongated, 14-17 mm long, the lower arm is short and thickened, with sterile anthers united at the apex. The staminode is filiform, about 4 mm long. The style is long, up to 40 mm, with an unequally 2-lobed apex, the posterior lobe is extremely short, and the anterior lobe is filiform. The disc is slightly swollen at the front. The nutlets are black, oval, about 3.2 cm long, and 1.5 mm in diameter. The flowering period is from April to August, and the fruiting period follows flowering.

Main Variants

Salvia miltiorrhiza can be divided into two variants: the original form, f. miltiorrhiza, and the white-flowered variant, f. alba C. Y. Wu et H. W. Li in Addenda 582. The latter variant differs from the former by its white flowers and is found in Shandong, with the type specimen collected from Zhangqiu, Shandong.

Distribution and Habitat

Salvia miltiorrhiza is distributed across several regions in China, including Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Henan, and Jiangsu, and is also cultivated in Japan. It typically grows on slopes, under forest thickets, or by streams at altitudes of 120-1300 meters. The plant prefers a mild and humid climate, is cold-resistant, and highly adaptable. It thrives in sunny locations with deep, well-drained, sandy soil.

Community Types

Salvia miltiorrhiza primarily inhabits subalpine dark coniferous forests and meadow communities, and can also be found in mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests. Subalpine dark coniferous forests are predominantly composed of spruce, fir, and alpine pine. Meadow vegetation mainly consists of marshy meadows with distinct layers of vegetation, dominated by perennial herbaceous plants from the sedge and Artemisia families. Mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests are rich in tree species, often forming multi-layered forests, with hemlock, alpine pine, and yellow cedar as the dominant coniferous trees.

Growth Habits

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a perennial herbaceous plant with thickened, fleshy roots. Typically, one-year-old plants do not form tuberous roots; it takes several years for the root surface to turn reddish-brown, with older stems becoming yellow-brown or dark green. The plant reproduces through seeds, root division, and cuttings.

Main Uses

The root of Salvia miltiorrhiza is used medicinally and contains tanshinones, which are potent tonic emmenagogues that help resolve blood stasis, invigorate new blood production, promote blood circulation, and regulate menstruation. It is a key gynecological medicine, primarily used to treat uterine bleeding, irregular menstruation, blood stasis, abdominal pain, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and temple pain. It is also effective in treating coronary heart disease. Additionally, it is used to treat neurasthenia with insomnia, joint pain, anemia, mastitis, lymphadenitis, arthritis, boils, carbuncles, erysipelas, acute and chronic hepatitis, pyelonephritis, traumatic injuries, late-stage schistosomiasis with hepatosplenomegaly, and epilepsy. Externally, it can be used to treat poison ivy dermatitis.

According to the “Materia Medica of Southern Yunnan”, it is stated: “Danshen is slightly bitter and slightly cold in nature. It is red in color and enters the heart meridian. It nourishes the heart, generates blood, stabilizes the spirit, and treats forgetfulness, palpitations, and insomnia. It invigorates new blood, removes blood stasis, stabilizes the fetus, and eliminates dead fetuses. It can substitute for the blood-tonifying effect of Siwu Decoction.”

This plant has long been used as a medicinal Danshen variety in Yunnan and is included in the Yunnan Provincial Drug Standards of 1974 and 1996.

Tofu Dregs Fruit is a traditional Chinese medicine, derived from the fruit of the plant Helicia nilagirica Bedd. of the family Proteaceae. It is primarily found in Yunnan Province and is known for its analgesic and sedative properties, commonly used to treat headaches and insomnia. The seeds, roots, leaves, and stem bark of Helicia nilagirica—also known by various names such as “Tofu Fruit,” “Sow Fruit,” “Luoluo Fruit,” and “Radish Tree”—are utilized as medicinal materials. The seeds, in particular, are the raw material for extracting tofu fruit glycoside, also known as “shen shuai guo su,” a traditional medicine used by several ethnic groups in Yunnan. The medicinal parts of this plant vary, including the roots, leaves, stems, and seeds. It is mainly distributed in Dehong, Lincang, Xishuangbanna, Simao, and other regions of Yunnan, as well as counties like Yuanjiang, Chuxiong, and Weishan.

Helicia nilagirica (Bedd.) Characteristics:

Helicia nilagirica, commonly known as the “Sow Fruit,” “Mountain Gourd,” “Bitter Pear,” “Luo Luo Fruit,” or “Muzha,” is a tree that grows between 5 to 12 meters in height with gray bark. The buds are densely covered with rust-colored short hairs, and both young branches and mature leaves are glabrous. The leaves are papery or nearly leathery, obovate-oblong, elliptical, or lanceolate, with a short acuminate or blunt apex and a cuneate base. The racemes are axillary or located in the axils of fallen leaves on young branches, measuring 10-24 cm in length, and are densely covered with rust-colored short hairs. The fruit is slightly flattened, spherical, with a diameter of 2 to 3.5 cm, and the top has a short tip. The base narrows abruptly into a short stalk, and the pericarp becomes leathery after drying, 2 to 4 mm thick, and green. The flowering period is from May to August, and the fruiting period is from November to July of the following year.

Distribution and Habitat:

Helicia nilagirica is distributed in India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and China. In China, it is found in southwestern and southern Yunnan, growing in evergreen broad-leaved forests at altitudes of 1000-2000 meters.

Uses and Applications:

The seeds of Helicia nilagirica contain starch and are commonly consumed by the Jingpo people of Yunnan, China. The bark and pericarp can be used to extract tannins. The plant is traditionally used to treat vascular headaches, neurasthenia, neurasthenic syndrome, and trigeminal neuralgia.

Medicinal Parts:

The medicinal part of Helicia nilagirica is its fruit.

Properties:

• Taste: Astringent
• Nature: Cool
• Meridians: Spleen and Large Intestine

Functions:

• Analgesic: Relieves pain
• Sedative: Calms the mind

Indications:

• Headache
• Insomnia

Dosage and Administration:

Tofu fruit glycoside is extracted and made into tablets for internal use, with a dosage of 25-75 mg.

Collection and Processing:

The fruits are harvested from November to July of the following year when they are fully ripe, then impurities are removed, and the fruits are sun-dried.

Dew Grass(Lushuicao露水草), also known as Spiderweb Blue Ear Grass (Cyanotis arachnoidea C. B. Clarke/蛛丝毛蓝耳草), is a perennial herbaceous plant from the Commelinaceae family. The entire plant is covered in spiderweb-like white hairs; its roots are thick and root-like; the leaves are grass-like or strap-shaped; the stem leaves are alternate, elongated-ovate, with a gradually pointed or blunt tip; the bracts are large and leaf-like; the petals are blue-purple, blue, or white; the capsule is small, wide, and three-angled; the seeds are gray-brown with small pits; flowering occurs from June to September, and fruiting happens in October.

Spiderweb Blue Ear Grass is distributed in southern China and Taiwan, as well as Southeast Asia. It is highly adaptable, with slightly fleshy leaves that can tolerate strong light and drought, preferring sunny conditions. It reproduces both asexually and sexually, with cultivation techniques available.

This plant has therapeutic benefits including warming the meridians and collaterals, dispelling dampness, and relieving pain. It is used to treat rheumatic arthritis, limb numbness, and other symptoms; it also clears heat, detoxifies, cools the blood, and stops bleeding for conditions such as edema, beriberi, urinary difficulties, nosebleeds, hemorrhages, dysentery, sore throat, erysipelas, abscesses, and snake or insect bites. For preparation, clean and chop the plant, simmer with pork for 90 minutes, and season with salt and MSG.

Morphological Characteristics: Spiderweb Blue Ear Grass is a perennial herb with a height of 30–50 cm. The stems are clustered, erect or slightly inclined at the base, and flattened. The leaves are linear, 10–25 cm long and 3–5 mm wide, often rolled inward with a gradually pointed tip; the leaf sheaths are flat with white soft hairs at the sheath mouth; the leaf tongue is truncate. The inflorescence is a pyramidal cluster, 15–18 cm long, with branches nearly whorled or single, often twisted; the spikelets are slender with 3–8 small flowers; the glumes are lanceolate with a pointed tip and veined; the outer lemma is ovate-lanceolate, arranged loosely, and the inner lemma is slightly shorter, often persistent with a truncate tip; the anthers are yellow. Flowering and fruiting occur from April to September.

Distribution: Spiderweb Blue Ear Grass is found in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Southeast Asia. In China, it is distributed in the southern mainland regions, Taiwan, Fujian (Xianyou, Pinghe, Nanjing, Zhangpu), Jiangxi (Longnan), Guangdong (Meixian, Wengyuan, Dinghu, Liannan, Lianping, Huaiji, Guangzhou, Huiyang), Hainan (Chengmai, Baoting), Guangxi (Nanning, Lingchuan, Longlin, Shanglin, Guiping, He County, Lingui), Guizhou (Pan County, Xingren, Anlong), Yunnan (Yanshan, Mengzi, Cangyuan, Tengchong, Pingbian, Xishuangbanna, Fengqing, Jingdong, Kunming, Qujing), and Zhejiang (Yueqing, Pingyang, Cangnan). It grows in valleys, stream banks, and moist rocks below 2700 meters above sea level.

Growth Habits: It has strong environmental adaptability, with slightly fleshy leaves that tolerate strong light and drought, and it prefers sunny conditions. It grows well in high mountain plains and general soils, particularly in warm, moist, and loose fertile environments at around 2000 meters above sea level. It does not tolerate heavy frost and goes dormant in winter.

Main Value: The whole plant is used in medicine, with benefits such as warming the meridians and collaterals, dispelling dampness, and relieving pain. The primary active ingredient is p-sitosterol, which constitutes 1.2% of the dried plant weight, with up to 2.9% in the rhizome. It treats rheumatic arthritis, limb numbness, and other symptoms, and also clears heat, detoxifies, cools the blood, and stops bleeding for conditions such as edema, beriberi, urinary difficulties, nosebleeds, hemorrhages, dysentery, sore throat, erysipelas, abscesses, and snake or insect bites. For preparation, clean and chop the plant, simmer with pork for 90 minutes, and season with salt and MSG.

Properties and Indications:

• Taste and Nature: Sweet taste, neutral nature.
• Functions: Dew Grass has cooling, cough-relieving, and pain-relieving effects.
  • Cough Relief: Combine Dew Grass with garlic and Platycodon root, simmer and drink to treat whooping cough caused by weakness and insufficient lung Qi due to cold.
  • Pain Relief: Chew Dew Grass or drink as a decoction to treat acute abdominal pain.

Related Formulas:

1. For Whooping Cough:
   • Dew Grass (5 qian), garlic (3 cloves), Platycodon root (2 qian). Simmer and drink.
   • Dew Grass root, dried and ground into powder (0.5 to 1 qian), take with ginger syrup.
2. For Acute Abdominal Pain:
   • Dew Grass root (3 qian). Chew or drink as a decoction.

Yao Spring Sand阳春砂 is derived from the dried mature fruits of Amomum villosum Lour., a plant in the Zingiberaceae family. It is used as a traditional Chinese medicine known as “Sand Seed” or “Sand Seed Honey” (缩砂蜜, 缩砂仁). It has the functions of resolving dampness, stimulating the appetite, warming the spleen, stopping diarrhea, regulating Qi, and stabilizing the fetus. It is mainly produced in provinces such as Guangdong, Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Fujian. Yao Spring Sand is one of the traditional “Sand Seeds” listed in various editions of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and is a mainstream variety in the market. It is a major medicinal herb from the south and is widely used as a spice and in soups. It is one of the renowned four southern medicines and is among the eight varieties protected by legislation in Guangdong Province. Yao Spring Sand is a perennial evergreen herb, reaching a height of 1.5 to 2 meters. It has erect stems and horizontally spreading stolons. The leaves are arranged alternately in two rows, narrow, elongated, lanceolate, unbranched, and petiole-less; they are 14 to 40 cm long, 2 to 5 cm wide, with entire margins and parallel veins; the leaf sheaths embrace the stem. The inflorescence is a loose, spherical spike emerging from the nodes of the stolons, with 8 to 12 flowers. The flower calyx is tubular with three shallow lobes at the apex, and the corolla tube is long and slender with three lobes at the tip. Flowers are white and bloom from late spring to early summer. The stamens and pistils are fused but not congenitally, forming a pseudo-staminal column. The fruit is elliptical or oval, red-brown when mature, with soft spines. The seeds are irregularly polyhedral, dark brown when mature, and have a distinctive aroma. The mature fruits of Yao Spring Sand are excellent for pickling and braised dishes.

Identification of Medicinal Materials:

Yao Spring Sand, Green-Shell Sand: Oval or elliptical, with indistinct three ridges, 1.5 to 2 cm long and 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter. The surface is brownish-yellow with dense, spine-like projections, and the apex has remnants of the flower calyx, while the base often has a fruit stalk. The fruit skin is thin and soft. The seeds are gathered in clusters with three blunt ridges, and the cluster is divided into 3 segments by white partitions, with 5 to 26 seeds in each segment. The seeds are irregularly polyhedral, 2 to 3 mm in diameter; the surface is brownish-red or dark brown with fine wrinkles, covered with a pale brown membranous testa; the texture is hard, and the endosperm is gray-white. The aroma is strong and aromatic, with a pungent, slightly bitter taste.

Hainan Sand: Long elliptical or oval with distinct three ridges, 1.5 to 2 cm long and 0.8 to 1.2 cm in diameter. The surface is covered with flake-like, branched soft spines, and the base has a fruit stalk mark. The fruit skin is thick and hard. The seed clusters are smaller, with 3 to 24 seeds per segment; the seeds are 1.5 to 2 mm in diameter. The aroma is slightly milder.

(1) Cross-section of Yao Spring Sand Seeds: The testa may sometimes be residual. The seed coat’s epidermal cells are arranged radially, slightly thickened walls; the hypodermal cells are one row containing brown or reddish-brown substances. The oil cell layer is one row of oil cells, 76 to 106 μm long and 16 to 25 μm wide, containing yellow oil droplets. The pigment layer consists of several rows of brown cells, irregularly arranged polygonal cells. The inner seed coat is a single row of reticulate thick-walled cells, yellow-brown, with very thick inner and side walls, small cells, containing silica granules. The outer endosperm cells contain starch grains and a few small calcium oxalate crystals. The inner endosperm cells contain small starch grains and fatty oil droplets. The powder is gray-brown. The inner seed coat’s thick-walled cells are red-brown or yellow-brown, polygonal in appearance, with thick walls, non-lignified; the cell cavities contain silica granules. The seed coat’s epidermal cells are pale yellow, elongated, often arranged perpendicularly to the hypodermal cells; the hypodermal cells contain brown or reddish-brown substances. The pigment layer cells are shriveled with indistinct boundaries, containing reddish-brown or dark brown substances. The outer endosperm cells are rectangular or irregularly shaped, filled with small starch grains forming starch clusters, with some embedding small calcium oxalate crystals. The inner endosperm cells contain small starch grains and fatty oil droplets. The oil cells are colorless, with thin walls, occasionally scattered oil droplets.

(2) Determination of Volatile Oil Content: Take the volatile oil from the [content determination] section and prepare a solution containing 20 μl per 1 ml of ethanol as the test solution. Also, prepare a solution of camphor acetate in ethanol containing 10 μl per 1 ml as the reference solution. Perform a thin-layer chromatography test (Appendix VI B) by applying 1 μl of each solution to the same silica gel G thin-layer plate, using hexane-ethyl acetate (22:1) as the developing solvent. After development, dry the plate, spray with 5% vanillin-sulfuric acid solution, and heat until the spots are clearly visible. The test solution should show the same purple-red spots at the corresponding positions as the reference solution on the chromatogram.

Pharmacological Effects

1. Effects on the Digestive System: 1.1. Effects on Isolated Intestinal Smooth Muscle: Segments of the small intestine from rats, guinea pigs, or rabbits were placed in Tyrode’s solution bath. The effects of the drug solution on spontaneous intestinal activity and its antagonistic effects against acetylcholine and BaCl2 were observed using a recording device. Results showed that the decoction of Yangchun Sand (2.5-5 × 10^-3 g crude drug/ml) could enhance the contraction of the guinea pig and rat small intestine. At higher doses, it exhibited inhibitory effects on the intestinal tract, showing reduced tension and amplitude. Yangchun Sand decoction partially inhibited the tonic and spastic contractions of the rat small intestine induced by acetylcholine and barium chloride. The volatile components of Yangchun Sand (1.3 × 10^-3 g crude drug/ml) could mildly stimulate the rabbit intestine, followed by a notable inhibitory effect, reducing tension, contraction frequency, and amplitude. It could also partially or completely antagonize the excitatory or spastic effects induced by acetylcholine and BaCl2, depending on the concentration.1.2. Effects on Intestinal Propulsive Movement: Mice weighing 20-24g were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group was given Yangchun Sand decoction (0.5 g/kg), while the control group was given distilled water. The length of the charcoal suspension reaching different segments of the intestine/percentage of the entire intestine was measured to assess intestinal propulsive movement. The treatment group showed 82.2 ± 4.4%, compared to the control group (62.5 ± 2.9), with P < 0.01, indicating that Yangchun Sand enhances intestinal motility.
2. Effects on Platelet Aggregation: Rabbits weighing 2.0-2.6 kg were divided into two dose groups, receiving oral Yangchun Sand at 0.6 and 1.2 g/kg, respectively, while the control group received the same volume of solvent. Blood samples were taken from the carotid artery at 15, 30, 60, and 90 minutes after administration. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) were prepared, and platelet aggregation was measured using ADP as the aggregator. Results indicated that Yangchun Sand significantly inhibited platelet aggregation.
3. Effects on Arachidonic Acid-Induced Acute Death in Mice: Mice (20-22 g) were divided into two treatment groups, receiving oral Yangchun Sand at 0.6 and 1.2 g/kg, respectively, while the control group received the same volume of solvent. Arachidonic acid was injected intravenously 1.5 hours after administration, and mortality within 15 minutes was observed. The results showed 2 and 1 deaths in the 0.6 and 1.2 g/kg groups, respectively, compared to 7 deaths in the control group, with P < 0.001, indicating that Yangchun Sand has a significant protective effect against arachidonic acid-induced acute death in mice.
4. Effects on Collagen and Epinephrine-Induced Acute Death in Mice: Mice (20-22 g) were divided into two treatment groups, receiving Yangchun Sand at 0.6 and 1.2 g/kg, respectively, while the control group received the same volume of solvent. Collagen and epinephrine mixed solution was injected intravenously 1.5 hours after administration, and mortality within 15 minutes was observed. The results showed 3 and 2 deaths in the high and low dose groups, respectively, compared to 8 deaths in the control group, with P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, indicating that Yangchun Sand has a significant protective effect against collagen and epinephrine-induced acute death in mice.

Identification of Traditional Chinese Medicine:

Yangchun Sand and Green-Shelled Sand: They are oval or egg-shaped with inconspicuous three ridges, measuring 1.5-2 cm in length and 1-1.5 cm in diameter. The surface is brown with dense, thorn-like projections, the tip has remnants of the calyx, and the base often has a fruit stalk. The fruit skin is thin and soft. The seeds are grouped together with three blunt ridges, divided by white partitions into three segments, each containing 5-26 seeds.

Hainan Sand: It is long oval or egg-shaped with prominent three ridges, measuring 1.5-2 cm in length and 0.8-1.2 cm in diameter. The surface is covered with plate-like, branched soft thorns, and the base has a fruit stalk scar. The fruit skin is thick and hard. The seed clusters are smaller, with each segment containing 3-24 seeds; seeds have a diameter of 1.5-2 mm. The aroma is slightly lighter.

Medicinal Value:

Yangchun Sand is used in traditional Chinese medicine to regulate Qi, strengthen the spleen, and resolve dampness. It is used to treat symptoms such as stomach bloating, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stasis, morning sickness, and fetal movement issues. The fruit shell, known as Spring Sand Shell, has similar medicinal functions but is milder. The flowers and flower stalks, known as Spring Sand Flower, can ease the chest and regulate Qi, treating cough and asthma. The seeds contain volatile oil, including α-borneol, and saponins (approximately 0.69%). The essential oil of Yangchun Sand leaves and seeds is chemically similar and can substitute for the fruit in medicinal use.

Characteristics:

The fruit is oval or egg-shaped with inconspicuous three ridges, measuring 1.5-2 cm in length and 1-1.5 cm in diameter. The surface is brown with dense, thorn-like projections, the tip has remnants of the calyx, and the base often has a fruit stalk. The fruit skin is thin and soft. The seed clusters have three segments, each with 6-15 seeds. The seeds are irregular polyhedral, 2-3 mm in diameter, with a brownish-red or dark brown surface, covered with a membranous false seed coat. The seeds are hard, with gray-white endosperm. The aroma is intense, with a pungent, cool, and slightly bitter taste.

Chemical Components:

The seeds contain a pale-colored volatile oil with components such as ethylborneol, camphor, camphene, limonene, β-pinene, and bitter orange oil, as well as flavonoids.

Properties and Actions:

Yangchun Sand is warm in nature and has a pungent taste. Its functions include resolving dampness, stimulating appetite, warming the spleen, stopping diarrhea, and regulating Qi to stabilize the fetus. It is used for conditions like spleen and stomach coldness, food stagnation, vomiting and diarrhea, morning sickness, and fetal movement issues.

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