Medicinals
huā jiāo / 花椒 / 花椒 / zanthoxylum [husk];
Latin pharmacognostic name: Zanthoxyli Pericarpium
Alternate English names: Sìchuān peppercorn
Alternate Chinese names: 蜀椒 shǔ jiāo; 大椒 dà jiāo; 巴椒 bā jiāo; 南椒 nán jiāo; 汗椒 hàn jiāo; 点椒 diǎn jiāo; 川椒 chuān jiāo; 川花椒 chuān huā jiāo; 大红袍 dà hóng páo; 椒红 jiāo hóng
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal and alimentary
Category: Interior-warming agents
Properties: Acrid; warm.
Channel entry: spleen, stomach, and kidney channels.
Indications:
- Warms the center and relieves pain: Center cold with abdominal pain, cold-damp with
vomiting and diarrhea . - Expels worms: Abdominal pain from worm accumulation.
- Relieves itching: Eczema, itching, and
genital itch .
Dosage & Method:
Oral: 2–6g in decoctions; also used externally.
Warning:
Contraindicated in yīn vacuity with effulgent fire; to be used with care in pregnancy.
Product Description:
This fruit is a spherical, 3.5–4 mm in diameter. The pericarp is split open on the ventral side into two hemispherical portions, which remain joined at the base. The seeds are often missing. The exterior surface is a rusty red in color, and rough and warty in texture. At the tip are the remains of the stigma, and at the base is a small fruit stalk, and 1–2 undeveloped carpels.
Quality:
Clean uniform lustrous bright-red thin-skinned fruits are the best.
Product Area:
Sìchuān, Liáoníng, Shānxī.
Etymology:
The name huā jiāo 花椒, literally ""flower pepper,"" doubtlessly describes the petal-like formation of the opened pericarp.
See also: