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Cuscuta [seed]
菟丝子 〔菟絲子〕tù sī zǐ
Latin pharmacognostic name: Cuscutae Semen
Alternate English names: dodder [seed] Chinese dodder [seed]
Alternate Chinese names: 菟丝实 tù sī shí; 吐丝子 tù sī zǐ; 兔丝子 tù sī zǐ; 菟缕 tù lǚ; 缠龙子 chán lóng zǐ; 龙须子 lóng xū zǐ; 豆须子 dòu xū zǐ
Kingdom: Plant
Origin in PRC Pharmacopoeia: Cuscuta chinensis Lam. (PRC Pharmacopoeia)
Origin (other sources): Cuscuta chinensis Lam.*; Cuscuta japonica Choisy; Cuscuta maritima Mak.; Cuscuta australis R. Br.
Use: Medicinal
Category: Supplementing agents / Yáng-supplementing agents
Properties: Acrid, sweet; warm. (Some sources say balanced.)
Channel entry: Liver, kidney, and spleen channels.
Indications:
- Supplements the kidney and secures essence: Seminal emission, frequent urination, vaginal discharge, pain in the lumbus and knees, and impotence.
- Nourishes the liver and brightens the eyes: Dim or clouded vision, loss of visual acuity.
- Checks diarrhea: Diarrhea due to
spleen-kidney vacuity . - Quiets the fetus: Stirring fetus in liver-kidney vacuity.
- Additional uses: Tù sī zǐ is used for kidney vacuity patterns of dispersion-thirst. For this purpose, it is combined with Tiān huā fěn (天花粉 Trichosanthis Radix, trichosanthes root), Wǔ wèi zǐ (五味子 Schisandrae Fructus, schisandra [berry]), and Lù róng (鹿茸 Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, velvet deer antler).
Dosage & Method: Oral: 10–15g in decoctions, powders, or pills. Use it raw to treat cloudy vision. The stir-fried form is preferred for seminal emission, copious urine or enuresis, vaginal discharge, stirring fetus, and impotence.
Warnings: Tù sī zǐ is quite balanced, but it is unsuitable in yīn vacuity with effulgent fire, dry bound stool, and short voidings of reddish urine.
Product Description: This seed is spheroid or ovate, often with a depression on each side. It is 1.5 mm long and 1 mm thick and has a light reddish-brown seed coat. It is hard and does not easily break. It is often comes in the form of cakes made by crushing and steaming the seeds.
Quality: Clean, plump seeds are the best.
Product Area: Héběi, Jiāngsū.
Etymology: The Chinese 菟丝 tù sī includes the word 丝 sī, silk, probably being a reference to the tendrils by which it clings to other plants. Many English folk names, such as angel's hair
and devil's hair
also reflect this feature of the plant.