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Kingdom: Plant

Origin in unofficial sources: See 川贝母 and 浙贝母.

Use: Medicinal

Notes: The term bèi mǔ refers either to both Zhèjiāng fritillaria (zhè bèi mǔ 浙贝母) and Sìchuān fritillaria (chuān bèi mǔ 川贝母), or specifically the former, which is more commonly used. The two have basically the same actions, but chuān bèi mǔ is primarily sweet and moistening, making it suitable for lung heat dry cough and vacuity taxation cough. Zhè bèi mǔ is primarily bitter and discharging and is suitable for cough due either to wind-heat invading the lung or to phlegm-heat lying depressed in the lung. Both medicinals also clear heat and disperse binds, but zhè bèi mǔ is more powerful in this regard.

Product description: Chuān bèi mǔ (川贝母 Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus, Sìchuān fritillaria [bulb]), derived from Fritillaria cirrhosa, is round and pointed at one end, with numerous fibrous roots sprouting from its base. It is about 0.5–1 cm in diameter. Two interlocking scales on the outside enclose a number of scales and a central stalk. It is white in color, brittle in substance, and when broken the ruptured edge has a farinaceous appearance. Zhè bèi mǔ (浙贝母 Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus, Zhèjiāng fritillaria [bulb]), from Fritillaria verticillata, is a larger bun-shaped bulb, 2–3.5 cm in diameter and 1–1.5 cm high. It has 2 thick scales on the exterior enveloping numerous small ones. It is often sold in the form of separated scales, which are white on the outer surface and pale brown on the inner surface. These are often cut into 2 mm thick slices.

Quality: Dry, neatly shaped, heavy, pure-white, farinaceous bulbs are the best.

Production area: Fritillaria cirrhosa: Sìchuān, Tibet, Yúnnán, Gānsū, Qīnghǎi. Fritillaria verticillata: Zhèjiāng, Jiāngsū.

Etymology: Bèi mǔ 贝母, cowrie mother, is so named because the bulb appears like cowries clustering around their mother.

See: Chuān bèi mǔ (川贝母 Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus, Sìchuān fritillaria [bulb]); Zhè bèi mǔ (浙贝母 Fritillariae Thunbergii Bulbus, Zhèjiāng fritillaria [bulb])

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