- Region
- Asia
- Origin
- China
Asia · Herb · № 728
Atractylodes lancea
Herb · Asia
Black atractylodes (cang zhu)
Atractylodes lancea
Traditionally attributed effects: dries dampness and strengthens the spleen; expels wind, cold and dampness.
Safety notes
Not with qi deficiency or yin deficiency with heat. Traditional use is no proof of effectiveness; if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or have a medical condition, consult a doctor or pharmacist.
Preparation
Rhizome. Usually as a decoction, together with other herbs.
Use in traditions
Described in the classical Chinese materia medica, in the group 'aromatic herbs that transform dampness'. Cang zhu dries damp and strengthens the spleen; it is part of Ping Wei San and Er Miao San. In China and Japan it was burned indoors to drive out musty air and illness.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Chinese materia medica
- Nature and taste
- aromatic, bitter, pungent, warm
- Meridians
- spleen, stomach
Attributed effects
For dampness in spleen and stomach with poor appetite, diarrhoea, nausea and a thick, greasy tongue coating, colds with dampness and a heavy body, joint pain from dampness (cold or hot), discharge and poor night vision.
Preparation and amount
Traditional dosage: 3–9 g a day, usually in a decoction.
Combinations
- With hou po and tangerine peel in ping wei san
- With huang bai and huai niu xi for painful legs from damp heat
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Decoction