Xi Xin

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Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt var. mandshuricum (Maxim.) Kitag.

Genus: Asarum Species: heterotropoides Pinyin: Xi Xin
Wild Ginger细辛

☯ TCM Properties

Category: releasing exterior
Temperature: warm
Taste: pungent
Meridians: heart, lung, kidney
Functions:

Disperses Wind-Cold; Dispels Cold and Alleviates Pain; Unblocks the Nasal Passages; Warms the Lungs and Transforms Phlegm-Fluids

Traditional Chinese Uses

Bi Cheng Qie (cubeb, Java pepper) is a warm, aromatic herb used in Chinese medicine primarily to warm the Stomach and move Qi stagnation in the digestive tract. It relieves stomach cold with pain, nausea, hiccup, and belching, and its warming, dispersing nature makes it helpful for the abdominal discomfort of cold and Qi stagnation. It is frequently found in compound digestive formulas that address cold-type stomach and intestinal complaints.

Western Herbalism Properties

Actions:
analgesicantimicrobialexpectorant

Used In Formulas (1)

Botanical Description

Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum (Manchurian wild ginger) is a small acaulescent perennial herb in the Aristolochiaceae family, native to northeastern China, Korea, and the Russian Far East. From a slender, branching, aromatic horizontal rhizome arise one to several long-petioled basal leaves with cordate to reniform blades 4-9 cm wide, dark green above and paler beneath, often mottled. The solitary, ground-level flowers are inconspicuous, bell-shaped, purplish-brown, with three reflexed, triangular calyx lobes; they are pollinated near the soil surface. The fruit is a fleshy capsule. The whole plant, especially the rhizome and roots, has a strongly pungent, camphoraceous aroma due to methyleugenol and safrole-related volatiles (POWO; Wikipedia).

Dosage

FormAmount Frequency Duration Population Notes
decoction 3-9g 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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