Pu Yin
StarWikstroemia indica (L.) C.A.Mey.
Synonyms: Daphne indica L., Wikstroemia indica (L.) C.A.Mey., 了哥王, Liao Ge Wang
☯ TCM Properties
Dispels Heat, resolves toxicity, promotes urination, kills intestinal parasites and removes accumulations
Traditional Chinese Uses
Bitter and cold with definite toxicity, entering the Lung and Liver channels, Pu Yin (Radix Wikstroemiae) dispels Heat and resolves toxicity, promotes urination, disperses stagnation and reduces masses, and kills intestinal parasites. It is used for Heat-toxin and Phlegm-Heat conditions—pneumonia, bronchitis, mumps (parotitis), tonsillitis, mastitis, scrofula and lymph-node swelling, carbuncles and toxic sores—and for oedema with abdominal distension and for worm accumulation. Caution: this is a toxic herb. It must be prepared and long-decocted (often processed by prolonged boiling), used only in controlled dose (roughly 6–12 g decocted, boiled 3–4 hours), and is contraindicated in pregnancy, lactation and deficiency-cold. Overdose causes vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, throat swelling and respiratory difficulty; the fresh sap is a skin and mucosal irritant. It should be used only under qualified supervision.
Botanical Description
Pu Yin (葡銀) is the root and root-bark (with some use of the whole root and leaf) of Wikstroemia indica (L.) C.A.Mey., the Indian stringbush or tie bush (Thymelaeaceae), the plant more widely known in Chinese medicine as Liao Ge Wang (了哥王). It is an evergreen shrub 0.5–2 m tall with smooth reddish-brown branchlets and tough, extremely fibrous bark that cannot be snapped by hand. The opposite, obovate to elliptic leaves are hairless and leathery; small tubular yellow-green flowers appear in short terminal clusters, followed by ovoid red-to-dark fleshy fruits. The root is dug year-round, and its bark is thick and strongly fibrous. Both root and bark contain irritant, toxic constituents.
Open hillsides, roadside thickets, grassy slopes, forest margins and rocky ground in warm subtropical to tropical lowlands and hills.
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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