common name | Willowleaf Rhizome |
alias | Shuiyangliu |
family | Asclepiadaceae |
This product is the rhizome and root of the perennial herbaceous plant Willowleaf Rhizome (Cynanchum stauntonii (Decne.) Schltr. et Levl.) and Lilac Daphne leaf Willowleaf Rhizome (Cynanchum glaucescens (Decne.) Hand.-Mazz.) of the Asclepiadaceae family. It grows in damp and shady places by streams, rivers, and valleys. It is mainly produced in Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, and Guangxi. It is harvested in autumn, washed, and dried.
Willowleaf Rhizome is similar in appearance to Blackend Swallowwort Root, so in some regions, the two are mistakenly used interchangeably. However, Willowleaf Rhizome is a cough-relieving and phlegm-dispelling medicine, while Blackend Swallowwort Root is used to clear and reduce deficiency heat. Their functions are quite different and must be distinguished. A simple identification method is: if the cross-section is hollow, it is Willowleaf Rhizome, commonly known as "Goose Pipe Willowleaf Rhizome" (referring to the hollow rhizome resembling a goose feather pipe); if the cross-section is solid, it is Blackend Swallowwort Root, commonly known as "Solid Blackend Swallowwort Root".
There are also several misused substitutes for Willowleaf Rhizome, such as:
bubble_chart Properties and Meridians
Acrid and bitter, slightly warm. act on lung channel.
Relieving cough by descending qi and resolving phlegm.
It is used to treat lung qi stagnation, excessive phlegm with unproductive cough, qi counterflow panting, and can be used in combination with other medicinals according to the syndrome, whether it is biased towards cold or heat.
3~10g.
bubble_chart Processing and Storage
Remove impurities from the raw herbs, wash away mud and debris, soak briefly, then lift out, moisten until soft, and cut into 0.2~0.25cm medium slices, then dry in the sun.
For roasted Willowleaf Rhizome: Take 100 kilograms of Willowleaf Rhizome, mix with 25 kilograms of refined honey, dilute with a small amount of boiling water, stir until evenly coated, let it absorb completely, stir-fry until yellow and no longer sticky, then remove and spread out to cool.
bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology
Contains triterpenoid saponins, glaucogenin A and B, glaucoside A, and glaucogenin-C-mono-D-thevetoside, among others.