Swallowwort rhizome (Baiqian)

Pharmaceutical Name : Radix et Rhizome Stauntoni

Botanical Name : 1. Cynanchum stauntoni (Decne.) Schltr. ex Levl.; 2. Dynanchum glaucescens Hand.-Mazz.

Common Name : Cynanchum root, Swallowwort rhizome

Source of Earliest Record: Mingyi Bielu

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations : The roots are dug in autumn, cleaned and dried in the sun and cut into pieces.

Properties & Taste: Pungent, sweet and neutral

Meridian : Lung

Functions: 1. To resolve phlegm and stop cough; 2. To conduct qi downward

Indications & Combinations:

1. Cough due to invasion by exogenous pathogenic factors. Swallowwort rhizome (Baiqian) is used with Schizonepeta (Jingjie) and Platycodon root (Jiegeng) in the formula Zhisuo San.

2. Turbid phlegm blocking the lungs: a) cold-phlegm coughSwallowwort rhizome (Baiqian) is used with Pinellia tuber (Banxia) and Perilla seed (Suzi); b) phlegm-heat coughSwallowwort rhizome (Baiqian) is used with Trichosanthes fruit (Gualou).

3. Cough, asthma, edema and rattling sound in the throat. Swallowwort rhizome (Baiqian) is used with Aster root (Ziwan) and Peking spurge root (Daji) in the formula Baiqian Tang.

Dosage: 3-10 g