Peng Lai Cao
StarPhyla nodiflora (L.) Greene
Synonyms: Lippia nodiflora (L.) Michx., Verbena nodiflora L.
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Heat, reduces inflammation and regulates menstruation; Expels Wind, removes toxin and disperses swelling
Traditional Chinese Uses
Peng Lai Cao is the whole herb of Phyla nodiflora (Verbenaceae), a creeping mat-forming plant used in southern Chinese and Taiwanese folk medicine. Pungent, bitter and cool, entering the Liver, Kidney, Lung, Heart and Small Intestine channels, it clears Heat, reduces inflammation and swelling, expels Wind and relieves toxicity. It is taken in herbal teas and decoctions for feverish and inflammatory complaints, sore throat, cough with Lung Heat, painful or hot urinary dribbling, and menstrual irregularity, and is applied topically for toxic swellings, sores and skin irritation.
Because it is largely a regional folk medicine rather than a classical materia medica staple, its indications rest on ethnomedical use; it should be used under qualified guidance and avoided in pregnancy without supervision.
Botanical Description
Phyla nodiflora is a low, mat-forming perennial herb of the Verbenaceae (frogfruit / turkey-tangle), rooting at the nodes of prostrate, four-angled, finely appressed-hairy stems. The small opposite leaves are spatulate to obovate, wedge-shaped at the base and coarsely toothed toward the rounded apex. Tiny white to pale pink or purplish flowers are crowded in dense, long-stalked axillary heads that elongate into cylindrical spikes as they mature. The whole herb (Herba Lippiae), gathered in summer and autumn and used fresh or dried, is the medicinal part, employed to clear heat, reduce inflammation, regulate menstruation, expel wind, resolve toxicity, and disperse swelling.
Damp open sandy ground, riverbanks, lawns, roadsides, ditches and waste places in tropical to warm-temperate lowlands.
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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