Medicinals

cǎo guǒ / 草果 / 草果 / tsaoko [fruit]

Latin pharmacognostic name: Tsaoko Fructus

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names: 草果子 cǎo guǒ zǐ; 草果仁 cǎo guǒ rén

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Aromatic dampness-transforming agents

Properties: Acrid; warm.

Channel entry: spleen and stomach channels.

Indications:

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 3–6g in decoctions; discard the shells and crush the seeds before use.

Warning:

cǎo guǒ can damage liquids because it is warm and dry; it is contraindicated in yīn-blood vacuity.

Product Description:

This fruit is oval in shape, 2–4 cm long, 1–2.5 cm in diameter, with three longitudinal ridges. It has a protrusion at the time, and the remains of the stalk at the base. The husk, grayish-brown in color, is supple, and easily breaks open longitudinally to reveal three seed chambers, each containing 8–11 brown seeds, each with four or more faces, compressed tightly together. The seeds are hard and reveal their white interior and powerful aroma when crushed. This fruit is similar in form to 白豆蔻.

Quality:

Large plump fruits that are reddish brown on the surface are best.

Product Area:

Guǎngdōng.

Etymology:

The name cǎo guǒ 草果 literally means ""grass fruit."" The English name ""tsaoko,"" from the botanical name Amomum tsaoko derives directly from the Chinese.

See also:

bái dòu kòu (白豆蔻 Amomi Fructus Rotundus, cardamom;)

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