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Alternate English names: Chinese radish seed daikon seed

Alternate Chinese names: 莱服子 lái fú zǐ; 萝卜子 luó bǔ zǐ; 萝卜子 luó bó zǐ

Kingdom: Plant

Origin in PRC Pharmacopoeia: Raphanus sativus L. (PRC Pharmacopoeia)

Origin in unofficial sources: Raphanus sativus L.

Use: Medicinal

Category: Food-dispersing agents

Properties: Sweet, acrid; balanced.

Channel entry: Lung, spleen, and stomach channels.

Actions and indications:

• Disperses food and eliminates distension: Center burner qì stagnation due to food accumulation.
• Downbears qì and transforms phlegm: Phlegm-drool congestion; panting and cough due to repletion; oppression in the chest with reduced eating.

Dosage and method: Oral: 6–10g in decoctions; reduce the dosage for pills. It is usually stir-fried to prolong shelf life and to prevent nausea.

Warnings: Prolonged use of lái fú zǐ wears on qì. It should not be used for qì vacuity or in the absence of food accumulation or phlegm stagnation. In addition, it should not be used with rén shēn (Ginseng Radix).

Quality: Large, plump, oily seeds are the best.

Production area: Hénán, Shāndōng.

Etymology: The plant is originally of Western origin, and the Chinese 莱菔 lái fú is believed to be cognate with the Latin raphanus.

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