Witnessed by: TCM
Cynanchum (Cynanchum stauntonii), of the Apocynaceae family. Slender perennial of damp ground; native range: riverbanks and wet lowlands of southern and central China. Globally recognized as bai qian (白前) in Chinese. The part used is rhizome and root. Fine tangled pale rhizomes, hollow and light, mildly acrid and sweet.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
CYNANCHUM
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- cynanchum
- Scientific name
- Cynanchum stauntonii (Decne.) Schltr. ex H.Lév.
- Family
- Apocynaceae
Form
- Part used
- rhizome and root
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent · sweet
Temperature
- TCM
- warm (slightly)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Lung
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- directs Lung qi downward, dispels phlegm, stops coughing and wheezing
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution in dry cough without phlegm
- Toxicity
- none of note
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