Pinyin: Xianmao
Aliases
Dumao gen, Tianzong, Xianmao shen
Source
1. For impotence and cold pain in the lower back and knees: Xianmao 6 g, decoct in water and take orally.Curculigo orchioidesGaertn. dried rhizome.
Botanical Description
Perennial herb. Rhizome nearly cylindrical and erect, approximately 1 cm in diameter, up to 30 cm long, outer bark brown; fibrous roots often clustered, fleshy, with annular transverse striations, up to 6 cm long. Aerial stem inconspicuous. Leaves basal; leaf blades linear, linear-lanceolate, or lanceolate, 10-45 cm long, 5-25 cm wide, apex long acuminate, base decurrent into petiole, veins prominent, sparsely pubescent or glabrous on both surfaces. Flower scape very short, 6-7 cm long, mostly hidden within the sheathing leaf base, also hairy; bracts lanceolate, 2.5-5 cm long, membranous, ciliate; raceme somewhat corymbose, usually with 4-6 flowers; flowers yellow, approximately 1 cm in diameter, lower floral tube linear, upper part 6-lobed, lobes lanceolate, 8-12 mm long, 2.5-3 cm wide, outer whorl sometimes sparsely villous on back; stamens 6, about half the length of perianth lobes, filaments 1.5-2.5 mm long, anthers 2-4 mm long; stigma 3-lobed, lobes longer than style, ovary narrow and long, apex with long beak, beak up to 7.5 mm long, sparsely hairy. Berry nearly fusiform, 1.2-1.5 mm long, about 6 mm wide, apex with long beak. Seeds shiny black, surface with longitudinal ridges, marginate. Flowering and fruiting from April to September.
Habitat and Distribution
It grows in forest understories or grassy slopes below 1600 m elevation. It is distributed in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and other regions.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvested in autumn and winter, remove the root crown and fibrous roots, wash clean, and dry.
Medicinal Properties
This product is cylindrical, slightly curved, 3-10 cm long, and 0.4-1.2 cm in diameter. The surface is brown to brownish, rough, with fine porous rootlet scars and transverse wrinkles. The texture is hard and brittle, easily broken; the fracture is uneven, grayish-white to brownish, darker near the center. The odor is faintly aromatic, and the taste is slightly bitter and acrid.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains curculigoside A, curculigoside B, orcinol glucoside, curculigosaponin, lycorine, and daucosterol.
Pharmacology
Has sedative, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, androgenic, immune-enhancing, adaptogenic effects, improves hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function, and increases Na+-K+-ATP enzyme activity, antibacterial, hypoglycemic, and anticancer effects. Toxicity is very low.
Properties and Channel Entry
Acrid, hot; toxic. Enters the Kidney, Liver, and Spleen channels.
Functions and Indications
Tonifies Kidney Yang, strengthens sinews and bones, and dispels Cold Dampness
Dosage and Administration
Internal: decoct in water 3-10 g; or made into pills or powder; or steep in wine. External: apply appropriate amount, mash and apply.
Precautions and Contraindications
Contraindicated in patients with Yin deficiency and Fire hyperactivity.
Prescriptions
1. For male deficiency and impotence with inability to achieve erection: Xianmao (soaked in rice water to remove red color, sun-dried) 120 g, Yinyanghuo (washed) 120 g, Wujiapi 120 g. Place in a silk bag, soak in wine for one month, then drink. (From *Wan's Family Prescriptions*: Xianmao Wine). 2. For impotence and tinnitus: Xianmao, Jinyingzi root and fruit 15 g each. Stew with meat and eat. (From *Guizhou Herbal Medicine*). 3. For senile enuresis: Xianmao 30 g. Soak in wine and take. (From *Guizhou Herbal Medicine*). 4. For carbuncles and fire toxicity with diffuse swelling, no head, and bluish-black color: Xianmao (any amount, with roots and fibrous roots), decoct and add a little wine to take; or mash fresh ones and apply externally. Those with pus will drain; those without pus will resolve. (From *Diannan Materia Medica*). 5. For epistaxis: Xianmao, Baimaogen, Tadicixiao 15 g each. Boil with lean pork and eat. (From *Hunan Materia Medica*).
