Pinyin: Sumu
Aliases
Sufangmu, Zongmu, Chimu, Hongchai, Hongsumu.
Source
1. For Fabaceae plant Sappanwood: Internal use: decoct 3-10 g.Caesalpinia sappanL. dried heartwood.
Botanical Description
Shrub or small tree, 5-10 m tall. Trunk with spines. Branchlets gray-green, with round, prominent lenticels; new branches pubescent. Bipinnate compound leaves, up to 40 cm long; pinnae 7-13 pairs, opposite, rachis pubescent; leaflets 9-17 pairs, opposite, oblong to oblong-rhomboid, about 14 mm long, about 6 mm wide, apex obtuse and slightly concave, base oblique, margin entire, upper surface green and glabrous, lower surface with glandular dots, midvein oblique. Panicles terminal or axillary, about as long as the leaves, shortly pubescent; pedicels about 15 mm long, finely pubescent; receptacle shallowly campanulate; sepals 5, slightly unequal, the lowermost larger and hooded; petals yellow, broadly obovate, about 9 mm long, the uppermost petal with a pink base and a claw; stamens 10, free, in 2 whorls, slightly exserted, filaments slender, twisted above, densely pubescent below; pistil 1, style slender, ovary with gray tomentum, style pubescent, stigma truncate. Legume woody, slightly compressed, suboblong to oblong-obovate, about 7 cm long, 3.5-4 cm wide, base slightly narrowed, apex obliquely truncate with a beak, reddish-brown, indehiscent. Seeds 3-4, oblong, slightly flattened, about 2 cm long, brownish-yellow. Flowering period May to October, fruiting period July to March of the following year.
Habitat and Distribution
It grows in valley forests at altitudes of 200-1050 m or is cultivated. It is distributed in the Jinsha River and Red River valleys of Yunnan. It is cultivated in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan.
Harvesting and Processing
Sangmu can be harvested for medicinal use 8 years after planting. Cut down the trunk, shave off the outer white sapwood, and cut into sections each 60 cm long. For thicker sections, split them in half. Dry in the shade, then bundle and store in a cool, dry place.
Medicinal Properties
This product is in the form of long cylindrical or longitudinally split semi-cylindrical pieces, 10-100 cm long, 3-12 cm in diameter, with a yellow-red to brown-red surface showing knife-cut marks and branch scars, often with longitudinal cracks. The transverse section is slightly lustrous, with distinct growth rings, and some show a dark brown, loose, stellate pith. The texture is hard. Odorless, taste slightly astringent.
Chemical Constituents
Contains components such as 3-deoxysappanone B, oxidized brazilin, brazilin, and protosappanin.
Pharmacology
Can affect the circulatory system, influence blood viscosity, and has certain anticancer effects, as well as hypnotic and antibacterial actions.
Properties and Channel Entry
Sweet and salty, neutral in nature. Enters the Heart, Liver, and Spleen channels.
Functions and Indications
Activates Blood and dispels stasis, reduces swelling and alleviates pain
Dosage and Administration
Oral: decoct in water, 3-9 g, or grind into powder. External: apply an appropriate amount as powder.
Precautions and Contraindications
It is contraindicated in patients with Blood deficiency without blood stasis, those with menorrhagia, and pregnant women.
Prescriptions
1. For postpartum dizziness: Sumu 90 g, crush into pieces, boil with five bowls of water until reduced to two bowls, add a small amount of wine, and take in two divided doses. (From *Weisheng Yijian Fang*) 2. For traumatic injury with wound infection: Sumu (mashed and ground) 60 g. Boil with two sheng of wine until reduced to one sheng, take in three divided doses, one dose on an empty stomach, one at noon, and one at bedtime. (From *Shengji Zonglu* - Sumu Wine) 3. For rheumatoid arthritis: Sumu trunk 30 g, decoct in water and take orally. (From *Guangxi Bencao Xuanbian*) 4. For unilateral scrotal swelling and pain: Sumu 90 g, one pot of good wine. Boil thoroughly and drink frequently. (From *Binhu Ji Jian Fang*) 5. For cervical cancer (Qi stagnation and Blood stasis): Sumu 10 g, Banzhuanggen 30 g, Xiaohongshen 30 g, Xiangfu 15 g, Mabiancao 15 g. Decoct in water and take orally. (From *Yunnan Kangzhong Zhongcaoyao*)
