Wiseman’s Chinese Medical Database

yù mǐ xū / 玉米须 / 玉米鬚 / corn silk

Latin pharmacognostic name: Maydis Stigma

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names: 玉麦须 yù mài xū; 玉蜀黍蕊 yù shǔ shǔ ruǐ; 棒子毛 bàng zǐ máo

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal and alimentary

Category: Water-disinhibiting dampness-percolating agents / Water-disinhibiting swelling-dispersing agents

Properties: Sweet; balanced.

Channel entry: bladder, liver, and gallbladder channels.

Indications:

• Disinhibits water and disperses swelling: Water swelling, inhibited urination or rough, short voidings of reddish urine, painful strangury.
• Disinhibits dampness and abates jaundice: Damp-heat jaundice.
• Modern applications: Yù mǐ xū has been used in the treatment of icteric hepatitis, cholecystitis, gallstones, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

Dosage & Method:

Usually 15–30g in decoctions, although doses of as much as 60g may be used.

Product Area:

Widely cultivated.