Pichi
StarFabiana imbricata
Synonyms: Fabiana araucana, Fabiana lutescens, Fabiana imbricata var. biflora, Fabiana biflora
Safety at a glance
No rule in our tables for this herb: pregnancy, breastfeeding, incompatible pairs (十八反 / 十九畏), herb–drug, dose ceiling. This is not a safety clearance.
Not graded — No toxicity grade is recorded. Most herbs in the catalogue carry none.
Traditionally used for
- Digestion
- Urinary & fluids
- Energy & fatigue
- Liver & jaundice
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Pichi is a genuine and important Patagonian medicinal plant. In Chilean and Argentine folk medicine an infusion or decoction of the leafy stems and bark is used as a diuretic and digestive tonic and to treat disorders of the kidneys and urinary tract, including cystitis and urinary stones, as well as liver complaints such as jaundice and gallstones (Schmeda-Hirschmann & Rojas de Arias, and review by Reyes et al., 2018). Bioactivity studies support the traditional diuretic use and indicate gastroprotective and hepatic-stimulant effects, with low toxicity of the crude extracts. The species was also adopted into nineteenth-century Eclectic/Western practice, where the leaves and branches were classed as a diuretic, tonic and hepatic stimulant for cystitis, hepatic and vesical calculi, dyspepsia and vesical irritation (King's American Dispensatory).
Gallery
Botanical Description
Fabiana imbricata, known as pichi, is an evergreen, heath-like shrub in the Solanaceae native to the arid Andean and Patagonian regions of Chile and Argentina. It forms a densely branched, broom-like bush up to about 2 m tall, the slender stems clothed in tiny, overlapping (imbricate), scale-like green leaves that give the plant a conifer- or heather-like appearance. The flowers are small, tubular and solitary along the branch tips, typically white to pale violet. The fruit is a small capsule. The aromatic, resinous shoots contain coumarins (including scopoletin), flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, terpenes and other constituents. It grows on dry, sandy and rocky slopes of the Andes.
Dosage Calculator
⚖ Dosage Calculator
A weight-based mathematical estimate for Pichi. Not a prescription.
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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