Pinyin: Fuling
Aliases
Futong, Songyu, Songshu, Songling.
Source
Fungi of the family Polyporaceae: Poria.Poria cocosThe dried sclerotium of (Schw.) Wolf.
Botanical Description
Sclerotia spherical, ovoid, ellipsoidal to irregular in shape, 10-30 cm or longer in length, and variable in weight, generally weighing 500-5000 g. The outer surface has a thick and wrinkled crust, dark brown in color, soft when fresh, and hardens after drying; the interior is white or light pink, granular. The fruiting body grows on the surface of the sclerotia, completely appressed, 3-8 cm thick, white, fleshy, turning light brown when aged or dried. The tubes are dense, 2-3 mm long, with thin walls; the pores are round, polygonal, or irregular in shape, 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter, with the margins often splitting into tooth-like structures.
Habitat and Distribution
Grows on the roots of pine trees. Distributed in Jilin, Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Henan, Hubei, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.
Harvesting and Processing
Mostly harvested from July to September, after digging out, remove sediment and pile up for "sweating", then spread out to air-dry until the surface is dry, then "sweat" again. Repeat several times until wrinkles appear and most of the internal moisture has dissipated, then dry in the shade, known as "Fuling ge" (individual Poria sclerotium).
Medicinal Properties
Fuling (Poria) pieces are spherical, ellipsoidal, oblate, or irregular lumps of varying sizes. The outer skin is thin and rough, brownish-black to dark brown in color, with distinct wrinkled texture. Heavy in weight, firm in texture, with a granular cross-section, sometimes showing cracks; the outer layer is pale brown, the interior is white, a few are pale red, and some have a pine root embedded in the center. Odor: faint; Taste: mild, sticky when chewed.
Chemical Constituents
This product primarily contains pachymic acid, dehydrotumulosic acid, 3-hydrogenated dehydroeburicoic acid, and ergosta-7,22-dien-3-ol.β- Alcohol, 7,9(11)-dehydropachymic acid, pachyman, and pachymaran components.
Pharmacology
Has diuretic effects; can prevent gastric ulcers, has protective and therapeutic effects on liver damage; has anti-cancer and antibacterial effects, can enhance the body's immune function; and can increase myocardial contractility and accelerate heart rate.
Properties and Channel Entry
Sweet and bland, neutral. Enters the Heart, Lung, Spleen, and Kidney channels.
Functions and Indications
Promotes urination and leaches out Dampness, strengthens the Spleen, and calms the Mind
Dosage and Administration
Internal use: decoct in water, 10-15 g; or made into pills or powder. For calming the Spirit and tranquilizing the mind, mix with Cinnabaris.
Precautions and Contraindications
For those with Yin deficiency without Damp-Heat, Deficiency-Cold with spermatorrhea, or Qi deficiency with sinking, use with caution.
Prescriptions
1. For edema: Baizhu (cleaned) 6 g, Fuling 9 g, Yuliren 4.5 g. Add ginger juice and decoct. (Fuling Tang from *Bu Zhi Yi Bi Yao*) 2. For phlegm-fluid retention below the heart, with fullness and distension in the chest and hypochondrium, and dizziness: Fuling 120 g, Guizhi 90 g, Baizhu 90 g, Gancao 60 g. These four ingredients. Use 6 sheng of water, decoct to obtain 3 sheng. Take in three warm doses. Urination will then be free. (Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang from *Jin Gui Yao Lue*) 3. For sudden vomiting, epigastric stuffiness, water in the diaphragm, and dizziness with palpitations: Banxia 1 sheng, Shengjiang 240 g, Fuling 90 g. These three ingredients. Use 7 sheng of water, decoct to obtain 1 sheng and 5 ge. Take in two warm doses. (Xiao Banxia Jia Fuling Tang from *Jin Gui Yao Lue*) 4. For gastric reflux, vomiting and thirst with desire to drink: Fuling 240 g, Zexie 120 g, Gancao 60 g, Guizhi 60 g, Baizhu 90 g, Shengjiang 120 g. These six ingredients. Use 1 dou of water, decoct to obtain 3 sheng. Add Zexie, then decoct again to obtain 2 sheng and 5 ge. Take 8 ge warm, three times daily. (Fuling Zexie Tang from *Jin Gui Yao Lue*) 5. For night sweats: Fuling 75 g, grind into powder. Take 6 g per dose, decocted strongly with mugwort water and taken. (Chen Ai Tang from *Pu Ji Fang*) 6. For wind-caused dizziness with deficiency, to warm the lower back and knees, and to treat the five strains and seven injuries: Fuling powder, together with yeast and rice, to brew wine and drink. (Fuling Jiu from *Gang Mu*)
