Bai Bu

---

Pinyin Name: Bai Bu

English Name: Radix Stemonae

Other Names: Stemona Root, Po Fu Cao

Tastes: Sweet, Bitter, Slightly Warm

Origin: Hubei, Guangdong, Fujian, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces in China

Benefits of Bai Bu:

Bai Bu is the dried tuberous root of Stemona Tuberosa Lour. It is a perennial herb with spindle-shaped root tubers, which usually grows in mountainous region, woods, bamboo forest. The tubers are yellowish-white or khaki-colored in appearance, with irregular deep vertical sulcus or horizontal wrinkles sometimes. It is crisp, horny, flat section, and light yellowish-brown or yellowish-white in color. Main indications include moistening and descending the lung qi to stop cough, killing parasites. In terms of coughing, it is dedicated to all no matter it is acute and chronic. As for killing parasite, it is used for head lice, body louse, pinworms. Recommended dosage is from 3 to 9 grams.

Bai Bu is widely used in Chinese herbal formulas. 1) Bai Bu Wan is formatted for lung-cold type cough with little phlegm. Its ingredient herbs include Bai Bu, Ma Huang and Xing Ren. 2) Bai Bu Gao is used in symptom management for psoriasis. Its ingredient herbs include Bai Bu, Bai Xian Pi, Bi Ma Zi, He Shi, Huang Bai, Dang Gui, Shu Di Huang, Huang La, Xiong Huang and Ma You. 3) Zhi Ke San is used for lung-involved cough by cold-pathogens infringe on only skin deep. Its ingredient herbs include Bai Bu, Jie Geng, Zhi Gan Cao, Bai Qian, Ju Hong and Zi Wan.

Common herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine

Quick knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine perspectives