Medicinals
zhū líng / 猪苓 / 豬苓 / polyporus;
Latin pharmacognostic name: Polyporus
Alternate English names: pore fungus; umbellate pore fungus
Alternate Chinese names: 豕零 zhū líng; 豨苓 xī líng; 地乌桃 dì wū táo; 野猪食 yě zhū shí; 猪屎苓 zhū shǐ líng; 野猪屎 yě zhū shǐ; 豭猪屎 jiā zhū shǐ
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: Water-disinhibiting dampness-percolating agents / Water-disinhibiting swelling-dispersing agents
Properties: Sweet, bland; balanced.
Channel entry: kidney and bladder channels.
Indications:
Disinhibits water and percolates dampness: Inhibited urination, water swelling, diarrhea, and strangury-turbidity.
Dosage & Method:
Oral: 5–10g in decoctions.
Warning:
Contraindicated in the absence of water-damp. It has a diuretic effect, so it should be used cautiously in combination with diuretic drugs.
Product Description:
This is a fungus that grows on the roots of plants of genera such as Liquidambar and Quercus, etc. The dried sclerotium is a mass about 10–25 cm long and 3–8 cm in diameter, sometimes with branches. In some cases, it is roughly spherical, with a diameter or 3–7 cm. The exterior skin is gray or brownish black, with tumorous protuberances. It is hard, solid, and light like cork. It cuts smoothly to reveal a white, or light brown interior flesh that is granular in texture.
Quality:
Large, relatively heavy sclerotia with shiny grayish-black skins and white interiors are the best.
Product Area:
Mainly produced in Shǎnxī (Shaanxi), Hénán, Héběi, Sìchuān, and Yúnnán, and to a lesser extent in Gānsū, Qīnghǎi, Liáoníng, Jílín, Hēilóngjiāng, and Inner Mongolia, as well as in Japan and Korea. Shǎnxī (Shaanxi) and Yúnnán have the large production, and Shǎnxī's produce is the best.
Etymology:
The name yě zhū shǐ 野猪屎, literally ""wild boar's dung,"" and other alternate names suggest a similarity to pig's or wild boar's dung.