Pinyin: Baiziren
Aliases
Boshi, Bozi, Boren, Cebaizi.
Source
Cupressaceae family plant Platycladus orientalisPlatycladus orientalisDried mature seed kernel of (L.) Franco.
Botanical Description
Evergreen tree, up to 20 m tall, with a trunk diameter up to 1 m. Bark thin, light grayish-brown, splitting into longitudinal strips; branchlets flattened, ascending, arranged in a single plane. Leaves scale-like, opposite and decussate, 1-3 mm long, apex slightly blunt; leaves on the upper and lower sides of branchlets with exposed portions obovate-rhombic or obliquely square, while lateral leaves fold over the basal sides of the upper and lower leaves, keeled. A glandular groove is present on the middle of the leaf back. Monoecious; male cones solitary at the tips of short branches, yellow, ovoid, about 2 mm long. Female cones mature in the same year, ovoid, 1.5-2 cm long, fleshy and bluish-green with a white bloom before maturity, becoming woody, opening, reddish-brown when mature; cone scales in 4 pairs, flattened, with a recurved tip near the apex, each middle scale bearing 1-2 seeds. Seeds ovoid or oblong-ovoid, 4-6 mm long, grayish-brown or purplish-brown, wingless or with ridges, hilum large and distinct. Flowering period March to April, cones mature September to October.
Habitat and Distribution
Born in moist, fertile soil, also growing in limestone mountainous areas. Distributed from the southern part of Northeast China, through North China southward to Guangdong, northern Guangxi, westward to Shaanxi and Gansu, and southwestward to Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest mature seeds in autumn and winter, dry in the sun, remove the seed coat, and collect the kernels.
Medicinal Properties
This product is oblong-ovate or oblong-elliptical, 4-7 mm long, 1.5-3 mm in diameter. The surface is yellowish-white or pale yellowish-brown, covered with a membranous inner seed coat; the apex is slightly pointed with a dark brown small spot, and the base is blunt and rounded. The texture is soft, rich in oiliness. Odor: faintly aromatic; Taste: bland.
Chemical Constituents
This product primarily contains terpenoids, fatty acids, and other chemical constituents.
Pharmacology
Improves memory retrieval impairment, memory extinction, and memory acquisition impairment.
Properties and Channel Entry
Sweet, neutral. Enters the Heart, Kidney, and Large Intestine channels.
Functions and Indications
Nourishes the Heart, calms the Spirit, moistens the Intestines, unblocks the bowels, and stops sweating. Used for Yin-Blood insufficiency, restlessness and insomnia, palpitations and anxiety, dry Intestinal constipation, and night sweats due to Yin deficiency.
Dosage and Administration
Internal: decoct 10-15 g; for those with loose stools, use in frost form; or prepare as pills or powder. External: apply an appropriate amount, grind into powder and mix for topical application; or mash the fresh product for external application.
Precautions and Contraindications
Use with caution in cases of loose stools and excessive phlegm.
Prescriptions
1. For senile constipation: Semen Platycladi (Platycladus orientalis seeds), Fructus Cannabis (hemp seeds), and Semen Pini (pine nuts) in equal parts. Grind together, melt into white wax pills the size of wutong seeds (wax pills), take 20-30 pills with a small amount of yellow turmeric decoction before meals. (From "Bencao Yanyi" - Extension of the Materia Medica) 2. For pediatric fontanelle non-closure: Saposhnikovia divaricata (Fangfeng) 45 g, Semen Platycladi 30 g, and Bletilla striata (Baiji) 30 g. Grind into fine powder, mix with breast milk and apply to the fontanelle, once daily. (From "Qianjin Yaofang" - Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold: Bairen San) 3. For vision decline: Semen Platycladi and pig liver, add an appropriate amount of lard, steam, and take orally. (From "Miao Ethnic Medicine Collection") 4. For hair loss: Angelica sinensis (Danggui) and Semen Platycladi, 250 g each. Grind together into fine powder, refine with honey to make pills. Take 3 times daily, 6-9 g after each meal. (From "Selected Technical Data from the National New Chinese Medicine Therapies Exhibition") 5. For mumps and sores: Fresh Semen Platycladi, mash into a paste, mix with egg white and apply to the affected area. (From "Qingdao Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual")
