Hong Tian Kui
StarBegonia fimbristipula Hance
Synonyms: Begonia rex var. fimbristipula (Hance) auct.
☯ TCM Properties
Cleares Heat, cools the Blood, invigorates the Blood, breaks up Blood Stasis and resolves toxicity
Traditional Chinese Uses
Hong Tian Kui is the whole herb of Begonia fimbristipula (Begoniaceae), a small tuberous begonia of shaded mountain slopes in southern China. Sweet and cool, entering the Liver and Stomach channels, it clears Heat and cools the Blood, invigorates the Blood to break up Blood Stasis, and resolves toxicity. It is used for Lung-Heat cough and coughing of blood, feverish and inflammatory conditions, painful swellings and toxic sores, burns, and pain from Blood stasis.
Prized for its tart flavor, it is most often taken as a cooling herbal tea, frequently combined with honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua), chrysanthemum (Ju Hua) or licorice (Gan Cao) to clear Heat and toxins. As a regional folk medicinal it is best used with qualified guidance.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Begonia fimbristipula is a small, nearly stemless, slightly succulent perennial herb of the Begoniaceae, arising from a short subterranean tuber-like rhizome. The few basal leaves are long-petioled, broadly ovate and asymmetric with a cordate base, shallowly lobed and irregularly serrate margins, green above and characteristically red-purple beneath, edged with fine hairs. The monoecious pink to rose-red flowers are borne in slender cymose scapes. Native to shaded, moist cliffs and ravines of southern China, the whole plant (harvested with the tuber) is used to clear heat, cool and invigorate the blood, break blood stasis, and resolve toxicity, treating cough with blood, injuries, and swellings.
Shaded moist rock crevices, cliff faces, and forested ravines in humid subtropical hills, roughly 700-1900 m elevation.
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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