☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat and removes toxicity; Expels Wind and alleviates pain; Cools the Blood and stops bleeding
Traditional Chinese Uses
Bai Yao Zi is the tuberous root of Stephania cepharantha (Menispermaceae). A bitter, pungent, cool herb entering the Spleen, Lung and Kidney channels, it clears Heat and resolves Fire toxicity, dispels Wind and alleviates pain, and cools the Blood to stop bleeding. Traditional indications include swollen sore throat and mumps, sores, boils and abscesses (taken internally and applied externally as a crushed poultice), coughing or vomiting of blood and nosebleed from Blood-Heat, painful obstruction (Bi) from Wind-Damp, and traumatic injury. It is usually decocted, powdered, or macerated in wine, with the fresh root pounded for topical use on toxic swellings and snakebite.
Botanical Description
Bai Yao Zi is the tuberous root of Stephania species, principally Stephania cepharantha and the closely related S. tetrandra, both perennial climbing vines of the family Menispermaceae native to southern China and adjacent parts of East Asia. The plant arises from a large, irregularly globose to elongate underground tuber that may weigh several kilograms in mature specimens and is the medicinally collected part. Slender, twining herbaceous stems climb to 2 to 4 metres, bearing alternate, peltate, broadly ovate to nearly round leaves with the petiole inserted within the blade and palmate venation radiating from that point. Small, dioecious, greenish-yellow flowers are borne in umbel-like cymes in the leaf axils, followed by small, flattened, red drupes. The plants favour shaded slopes, thickets, and forest margins from low elevations to about 1500 metres.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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