Inula flower (xuan fu hua)

Inula japonica

Traditionally attributed effects: moves stuck phlegm in the lungs and makes rebellious energy of lung and stomach descend.

Safety notes

Not with tuberculosis or cough from wind heat or deficiency. Not with an allergy to the daisy family. 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

Flowers, cooked in a bag. Usually as a decoction, together with other herbs.

Use in traditions

Described in the classical Chinese materia medica, in the group 'herbs that transform phlegm and stop cough'. The flowers are boiled in a bag because the hairs irritate the throat. According to Chinese medicine they make the qi descend in coughs, hiccups and vomiting, in Xuan Fu Dai Zhe Tang.

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: pungent, bitter, warm
Meridians: lung, spleen, stomach, liver, large intestine

Attributed effects

For wheezing and bronchitis with a lot of phlegm, and for belching and vomiting from cold or dampness in stomach and spleen or from violent coughing.

Preparation and amount

Traditional dosage: 3–9 g a day, cooked along in a bag (the little hairs irritate the throat). In the West mainly the root of the related elecampane is used, in China mainly the flower; both for chronic cold phlegm.

Combinations

With ban xia and fresh ginger for asthma and cough with a lot of phlegm
With haematite, ban xia and ginger in xuan fu dai zhe tang for belching

Ways to prepare herbs: Decoction
Formulas: Xuan fu dai zhe tang

Sources

All herbs from Asia →