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Alternate English names: Chinese asparagus [root] shiny asparagus [root]

Alternate Chinese names: 天门冬 tiān mén dōng

Kingdom: Plant

Origin in PRC Pharmacopoeia: Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr. (PRC Pharmacopoeia)

Origin in unofficial sources: Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr.* [= A. lucidus Lindl.]; Asparagus spinasissimus Wang et S.C. Chen

Use: Medicinal

Category: Supplementing agents / Yīn-supplementing agents

Properties: Sweet, bitter; cold.

Channel entry: Lung, kidney, and stomach channels.

Actions and indications:

• Nourishes lung yīn and clears lung heat: Cough due to dryness-heat or vacuity taxation cough.
• Enriches kidney yīn and downbears vacuity fire: Kidney yīn vacuity with heat.
• Boosts the stomach and engenders liquid: Thirst, poor appetite, and constipation due to damage to qì and yīn in febrile disease.
• Additional uses: Tiān dōng may also be used to treat painful swollen sore throat.

Dosage and method: Oral: 6–15g in decoctions, often stir-fried before use.

Warnings: Contraindicated in spleen-stomach vacuity cold with reduced eating and sloppy stool.

Quality: Large full shiny light-colored tubers with sticky flesh are the best quality.

Production area: Húnán, Guìzhōu, Húběi.

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