Pinyin: Hetaoren
Aliases
Hetao rang, Hetao rou.
Source
Plant of the Juglandaceae family, *Juglans regia*.JuglansregiaL. of dried ripe seeds.
Botanical Description
Deciduous tree, 20-25 m tall. Bark gray-white, smooth when young, shallowly longitudinally fissured with age; branchlets covered with short glandular hairs, with distinct leaf scars and lenticels; winter buds covered with bud scales; pith white, lamellar. Odd-pinnate compound leaves, alternate, 40-50 cm long; leaflets 5-9, sometimes 13, the terminal leaflet often larger. Elliptic-ovate to long-elliptic, 6-15 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, apex obtuse-rounded or acute, base oblique, nearly rounded, entire margin, upper surface dark green and glossy, lower surface pale green with 11-19 pairs of lateral veins, with a tuft of short soft hairs in the vein axils. Flowers unisexual, monoecious, appearing with the leaves; male catkins axillary, pendulous, 5-10 cm long, flowers small and dense; male flowers with 1 oblong bract, 2 long-ovate bracteoles, 1-4 tepals, all covered with glandular hairs, stamens 6-30; female spikes erect, terminal on young branches, usually with 1-3 female flowers, 3 long-ovate involucral bracts adnate to the ovary and enlarging after anthesis; perianth 4-lobed, lobes linear, exceeding the involucre; ovary inferior, composed of 2 carpels, style short, stigma 2-lobed, feathery, bright red. Fruit subglobose, drupaceous, 4-6 cm in diameter; exocarp green with spots; mesocarp fleshy, irregularly dehiscent; endocarp bony, surface uneven with 2 longitudinal ridges, apex with a short point; endocarp wall with internal cavities and wrinkles, septa relatively thin, inner part without cavities. Flowering period May-June, fruiting period September-October.
Habitat and Distribution
Grows in mountainous and hilly areas. Cultivated throughout various regions of China, both north and south.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest in autumn when the fruit is ripe, remove the fleshy pericarp, sun-dry, then remove the seed shell and woody septum.
Medicinal Properties
This product is mostly broken into irregular pieces with wrinkled grooves of varying sizes; intact specimens are nearly spherical, 2-3 cm in diameter. The seed coat is pale yellow or yellowish-brown, membranous, with dark brown vascular bundle veins. The cotyledons are whitish. Texture is brittle and rich in oil. Odor: faint; Taste: sweet; the seed coat tastes astringent and slightly bitter.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains components such as linolenic acid, campesterol, and 1,4-naphthoquinone.
Pharmacology
Anti-cancer.
Properties and Channel Entry
Sweet, warm. Enters the Kidney, Lung, and Large Intestine channels.
Functions and Indications
Tonifies the Kidneys, warms the Lungs, and moistens the Intestines
Dosage and Administration
Oral: 9-15 g decocted in water; 10-30 g chewed alone; or made into pills or powder. External: appropriate amount, ground into powder and applied.
Precautions and Contraindications
Contraindicated in cases of Phlegm-Fire accumulation and Heat, Yin deficiency with Blazing Fire, and those with loose stools; do not take concurrently with strong tea.
Prescriptions
1. For kidney deficiency tinnitus and spermatorrhea: 3 walnuts, 7 Schisandrae Fructus seeds, and an appropriate amount of honey, chew and take before bedtime. (From "Guizhou Herbal Medicine") 2. For small intestinal hernia pain: one walnut kernel. Burn to charcoal, grind into powder, and take with warm wine. (From "Qixiao Liangfang") 3. For hypochondriac pain: an appropriate amount of walnut kernels (with skin intact). Boil a small amount in half water and half wine, then take the decoction. (From "Zhushi Jiyanfang") 4. For traumatic injuries from falls: mash walnut kernels, mix with wine, take warm in one dose, and recovery will follow. (From "Bencao Tujing") 5. For persistent cough: 50 walnut kernels (cooked, peeled), 150 g Renshen, and 350 g Armeniacae Amarum Semen (stir-fried with bran, soaked in hot water, and peeled). Grind into a fine powder, mix with refined honey, and form into pills the size of wutong seeds. On an empty stomach, chew one pill slowly, take with Renshen decoction, and take another dose before bedtime. (From "Compendium of Materia Medica," citing "Xiao Dayin Fang")
