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Alternate English names: portulaca

Alternate Chinese names: 长命草 cháng míng cǎo; 五行草 wǔ xíng cǎo; 酸米菜 suān mǐ cài; 马蛇子菜 mǎ shé zǐ cài; 瓜子菜 guā zǐ cài; 马苋 mǎ xiàn; 马齿菜 mǎ chǐ cài; 地马菜 dì mǎ cài

Kingdom: Plant

Origin in PRC Pharmacopoeia: Portulaca oleracea L. (PRC Pharmacopoeia)

Origin in unofficial sources: Portulaca oleracea L.

Use: Medicinal and alimentary

Category: Heat-clearing agents / Heat-clearing toxin-resolving agents

Properties: Sour; cold.

Channel entry: Large intestine and liver channels.

Actions and indications:

• Clears heat and resolves toxin; cools the blood and checks diarrhea and dysentery: Heat toxin blood dysentery.
• Clears heat and resolves toxin; cools the blood and disperses swelling: Sores and cinnabar toxin (erysipelas) due to heat toxin.
• Clears heat, cools the blood, and stanches bleeding: Flooding and spotting, bloody stool, Heat strangury (rè lìn), and red and white vaginal discharge.
• Modern applications: Mǎ chǐ xiàn is prepared as an injection fluid, effective in causing the uterus to contract.

Dosage and method: Oral: 15–30g dried; 60–150g when used fresh.

Warnings: Because it can cause contraction of the uterus, mǎ chǐ xiàn is contraindicated in pregnancy.

Quality: Small, tender, leafy, green plants are the best.

Production area: Most parts of China.

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