Shui Hong Huang Zi
StarPersicaria orientalis (L.) Spach
☯ TCM Properties
Dissipates Blood Stasis and breaks up Stagnation, tonifies the Spleen and promotes diuresis
Traditional Chinese Uses
Shui Hong Huang Zi (Fructus Polygoni Orientalis) is the dried mature fruit of Persicaria orientalis (=Polygonum orientale), prince's-feather. Salty, bitter and cool, entering the Liver and Spleen channels, it is a Blood-regulating medicinal that dissipates Blood Stasis and breaks up stagnation while also softening hardness. Its signature use is for palpable abdominal masses (Zheng Jia Ji Ju), hepatosplenomegaly-type accumulations, scrofula (nodular swellings) and Stasis-related sores.
It additionally tonifies the Spleen and promotes urination, helping abdominal distension, ascites, poor appetite and Damp swelling, and is used for Stasis-type stomach pain. It is decocted, powdered, made into paste or soaked in wine, and combined with other Blood-invigorating or mass-dispersing herbs. Being cool and Blood-moving, it is contraindicated in Spleen-Stomach deficiency-cold.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Shui Hong Huang Zi is the dried mature fruit (achene) of Persicaria orientalis (= Polygonum orientale; Polygonaceae), a robust annual herb 1–2 m tall widespread across temperate to subtropical Asia along riverbanks, ditches and disturbed wet ground. Stems are stout, branched, conspicuously softly pubescent and often tinged red at swollen nodes sheathed by fringed ochreae. Leaves are alternate, broadly ovate, 10–25 cm long, with pointed apex, rounded to subcordate base and pubescent surfaces. The terminal racemes are dense, drooping, 3–12 cm long, with deep rose-pink to red minute perianths. Each flower yields a single shiny, biconvex, dark-brown to nearly black lenticular achene about 3 mm across.
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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