☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat and eliminates toxins; Invigorates the Blood and dispels water
Traditional Chinese Uses
Ma Ti Jin (Herba Dichondrae, from Dichondra micrantha / D. repens, Convolvulaceae) is a bitter, pungent, cool-to-slightly-cold herb of the drain-dampness group, entering the Liver and Lung (and Stomach) channels. It clears Heat and resolves toxicity while draining Damp-Heat, and is a well-documented folk remedy for damp-heat jaundice and hepatitis, hot painful or turbid urinary dysfunction, urinary stones, and edema.
It also invigorates the Blood and disperses water (promotes diuresis) and transforms turbidity, and is applied to bacillary dysentery, contusions, sprains, and swelling. Externally the pounded fresh herb dresses sores, boils, and traumatic wounds, aiding tissue healing and checking bleeding. It is used as fresh herb, expressed juice, or decoction. Its hepatoprotective and anti-HBV activity is attributed to phenylalanine dipeptides such as Matijin-Su, consistent with its traditional jaundice indications.
Botanical Description
Dichondra repens (and the closely allied D. micrantha) is a low, creeping perennial herb of the Convolvulaceae, forming dense mats only 2–5 cm high across moist, shaded ground in subtropical and warm-temperate Asia, Australia, and naturalised elsewhere. The slender prostrate stems root freely at the nodes. Each long-petioled leaf bears a single small, reniform to broadly cordate blade 0.5–2.5 cm wide, soft and finely pubescent, vaguely resembling a horse's hoof or kidney — the source of common names 'horseshoe vine' and 'kidney weed'. Solitary, inconspicuous pale-greenish to white funnelform flowers about 2–3 mm across arise singly in the leaf axils on short pedicels. The entire above-ground plant is gathered fresh or air-dried for medicinal use, especially during the growing season.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 9-15g | 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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