Pinyin: Wuyao
Aliases
Aizhanggen, Tumuxiang, Jiyujiang.
Source
1. For plant source: *Lindera aggregata* (Sims) Kosterm. (Lauraceae family).Lindera aggregataDried root tuber of (Sims) Kosterm.
Botanical Description
Evergreen shrub, up to 4-5 m tall. Root woody, enlarged and robust, slightly moniliform (bead-like). Bark gray-green. Young branches densely covered with rust-colored hairs, becoming nearly glabrous with age. Leaves alternate, leathery; petiole 5-10 mm long, hairy; leaf blade elliptic or ovate, 3-7.5 cm long, 1.5-4 cm wide, apex long-acuminate or short-caudate, base rounded or broadly cuneate, margin entire, upper surface glossy with hairs only on midvein, lower surface with gray-white pubescence, triplinerved with midvein extending to apex. Flowers unisexual, dioecious; umbels axillary, peduncle very short; perianth segments 6, yellow-green; staminate flowers with 9 stamens in 3 whorls, anthers 2-celled, introrse, valvular. Pistillate flowers with staminodes, ovary globose, 1-locular, with 1 ovule, stigma capitate. Drupe elliptic or orbicular, 0.6-1 cm long, 4-7 mm in diameter, purple-black when ripe. Flowering period March to April, fruiting period September to October.
Habitat and Distribution
It grows in sunny hillside shrub forests, forest edges, and foothills or open fields. It is distributed in Shaanxi, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Sichuan.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvested year-round, remove fine roots, wash thoroughly, slice while fresh, and sun-dry, or directly sun-dry.
Medicinal Properties
This product is fusiform, slightly curved, sometimes constricted in the middle forming a bead-like shape, 6-15 cm long, 1-3 cm in diameter. The surface is yellowish-brown or yellowish-brown, with longitudinal wrinkles and sparse fine root marks. The texture is hard. The slices are 0.2-2 mm thick, with a yellowish-white or light yellowish-brown cut surface, radial rays, visible annual ring marks, and a darker center. The odor is aromatic, the taste is slightly bitter and acrid, with a cooling sensation. Old, non-fusiform taproots are not suitable for medicinal use.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains linderane, linderalide, neolinderalide, and linderene.α- Curcumene, linderoxide, linderane, etc.
Pharmacology
Anti-herpes simplex virus; antihistamine, hemostatic; has dual excitatory and inhibitory effects on isolated smooth muscle.
Properties and Channel Entry
Acrid, warm. Enters the Lung, Spleen, Kidney, and Bladder channels.
Functions and Indications
Promotes Qi circulation and alleviates pain, warms the Kidneys and disperses Cold
Dosage and Administration
Oral: decoct in water, 5-10 g, or made into pills or powder. External use: appropriate amount, ground into powder for topical application.
Precautions and Contraindications
Contraindicated in patients with Qi deficiency and internal Heat syndromes; use with caution in pregnant women and those with weak constitution.
Prescriptions
1. For asthma: Wuyao (Lindera aggregata) powder, Mahuang (Ephedra) 5 measures, chive juice 1 bowl; take the powder with the juice to stop asthma; if not stopped, take again. (Xin Yi Ji) 2. For Qi-type syncope headache in men, Qi-excess headache in women, and postpartum headache: Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong) and Wuyao (Lindera aggregata), equal parts. Grind into fine powder. Take 6 g each time, mixed with stale tea infusion or scallion tea infusion, taken after meals. (Yan Shi Ji Sheng Fang) 3. For unbearable pain in the small intestine Qi: Wuyao (crushed, soaked in wine overnight), Liangjiang (Alpinia officinarum), Boshan Huixiang (Foeniculum vulgare), Qingpi (Citrus reticulata, white removed) each 30 g. Grind into powder. Take 6 g each time, mixed with warm wine at the onset of pain. (Wei Sheng Yi Jian Fang) 4. For irregular menstruation in unmarried women, either red or turbid discharge, intermittent flow, chest oppression, and abdominal cramping pain: Wuyao 60 g, Danggui (Angelica sinensis, sliced and roasted), Peng Ezhu (Curcuma zedoaria, parched) each 30 g. Grind into fine powder. Take 6 g each time, mixed with warm wine. (Sheng Ji Zong Lu - Wuyao San) 5. For infantile chronic convulsions, unconsciousness or spasms: Grind Wuyao with water and administer orally. (Ji Ji Xian Fang)
