Medicinals

mǔ dān pí / 牡丹皮 / 牡丹皮 / moutan [bark];

Latin pharmacognostic name: Moutan Cortex

Alternate English names: tree peony [bark]

Alternate Chinese names: 丹皮 dān pí

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Heat-clearing agents / Heat-clearing blood-cooling agents

Properties: Bitter, acrid; slightly cold.

Channel entry: heart, liver, and kidney channels.

Indications:

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 6–12g in decoctions. Mǔ dān pí is used raw to clear heat and cool the blood. It should be mix-fried with yellow rice wine to quicken the blood and dispel stasis.

Warning:

Contraindicated in vacuity cold patterns, pregnancy, and profuse menstruation.

Product Description:

This bark resumes its original shape after being removed from the root by a single longitudinal cut. It is 2–4 mm thick, 0.6–1.4 cm in diameter and comes in lengths of 10–20 cm. It is a grayish brown on the outside with a slight purple hue. The outer surface has conspicuous long lenticels and scars left where branch roots were removed. Sometimes the cork is stripped off , exposing a brighter red coloring. This is called 粉丹皮. The flesh and inner surface are gray. This bark breaks cleanly, revealing a pale red fracture surface. The decocting pieces are slices 1–2 mm thick, appearing pinkish on the cut edge. Stir-frying and charring darken the color.

Quality:

Better barks are thick, evenly sized, round and straight, have a thin skin and thick flesh, do not turn red with time, and have no wood or fine roots attached.

Product Area:

ānhuī, Sìchuān, Gānsū.

Etymology:

The name mǔ dān pí 牡丹皮, literally ""male cinnabar bark,"" reflects the color of the red flower. The Táng dynasty name mù sháo yào 木芍药 is corresponds to the English tree peony ( 木 means ""tree"").

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