Medicinals

yuán huā / 芫花 / 芫花 / genkwa [flower];

Latin pharmacognostic name: Genkwa Flos

Alternate English names: daphne [flower]; lilac daphne [flower]

Alternate Chinese names: 赤芫 chì yuán; 毒鱼 dú yú; 闷头花 mēn tóu huā; 闹鱼花 nào yú huā; 芫条花 yuán tiáo huā; 杜芫 dù yuán; 芫 yuán

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Draining-precipitant agents / Drastic water-expelling agents

Properties: Acrid, bitter; warm; toxic.

Channel entry: lung, kidney, and large intestine channels.

Indications:

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 1.5–3gr in decoctions, 0.6g per dose in pills and powders; also used externally. When taken internally, it should be processed with vinegar to reduce its toxicity.

Warning:

Contraindicated in pregnancy and in vacuity patterns. Yuán huā is said to clash with gān cǎo (Glycyrrhizae Radix). However, the two are sometimes combined (as in the wash to treat frostbite mentioned above).

Product Description:

This product comprises 3–7 flowers on a short axis, with 1–2 bracts at the base, which are covered with dense yellow down. The calyx is contorted, about 1–1.7 cm long, yellowish brown, or less commonly pale purple, on the outside, with short dense down. The upper part, which accounts for about one third of the total length, is made up of four supple light-brown lobes.

Quality:

Small fineXXX unopened flowers with a purple hue are best.

Product Area:

ānhuī, Jiāngsū, Zhèjiāng, Shāndōng, Sìchuān, Fújiàn, Húběi.

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