Medicinals

bì bō / 荜茇 / 蓽茇 / long pepper[1]

Latin pharmacognostic name: Piperis Longi Fructus

Alternate English names:

Alternate Chinese names: 荜拨梨 bì bō lí; 毕拨 bì bō; 荜拨 bì bō

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal and alimentary

Category: Interior-warming agents

Properties: Acrid; hot.

Channel entry: spleen and large intestine channels.

Indications:

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 3–6g in decoctions; also used externally.

Warning:

Contraindicated in repletion heat, depressed fire, and yīn vacuity with effulgent fire.

Product Description:

This is a slightly curved cylindrical fruit spike, 2–5 cm long, and 0.5–0.8 cm in diameter, usually with the main fruit stalk missing. It is composed of many small round fruits neatly arranged to form a diagonal crisscross pattern. The individual seeds, each covered with a bract, are 1 mm in diameter. They break open with difficulty to expose a reddish interior, with white endosperm. This fruit has an unusual aroma and a hot acrid taste.

Quality:

Large, hard fruits with a strong smell are the best.

Product Area:

Yúnnán and Guǎngdōng, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam.

Etymology:

The name bì bō 荜茇 is a corruption of the Indian pippali.

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