Medicinals

mù tōng / 木通 / 木通 / trifoliate akebia

Latin pharmacognostic name: Akebiae Trifoliatae Caulis

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names:

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Water-disinhibiting dampness-percolating agents / Urine-disinhibiting strangury-freeing agents

Properties: Bitter; cold.

Channel entry: heart, small intestine, and bladder channels.

Indications:

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 3–6g in decoctions.

Warning:

All forms of mù tōng are used with caution in pregnancy.

Product Description:

Akebia manshuriensis, traditionally called guān mù tōng, is now the most commonly used form of Mutong Caulis. Its straight or flexuous wood stem is about 1–2.5 cm in diameter, swelling to up to 3.5 cm at the nodes or branching points. The exterior surface is a grayish or yellowish brown, sometimes with horizontal fissures. The thicker cork is removed to reveal a lustrous, pale brown endodermis with longitudinal ridges (the stele sheath fiber bundles). The stems are hard, although the finer ones break easily and smoothly. The decocting pieces are slices 2–4 mm thick. They reveal this medicinal's most distinctive quality: The light, airy structure of the woody part of the stem, reflected in the literal meaning of the Chinese name.

Quality:

A fresh yellow color of the cut surface is a sign of superior quality.

Product Area:

Hēilóngjiāng, Jílín, Liáoníng, Shānxī, Gānsū, and Shǎnxī (Shaanxi).

Etymology:

The term mù tōng 木通, literally ""wood clear all the way through,"" reflects the light airy structure of this stem, and its ability to disinhibit urine and drain fire.

Help us to improve our content
You found an error?

Send us a feedback