Witnessed by: TCM
Fish poison yam (Dioscorea hypoglauca), of the Dioscoreaceae family. Climbing perennial vine with a woody rhizome; native range: mountain woodlands of southern China. Globally recognized as bi xie (萆薢) in Chinese. The part used is rhizome. Hard irregular slices, pale yellow-brown, bitter with a slightly acrid edge.
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.
FISH POISON YAM
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- fish poison yam
- Scientific name
- Dioscorea hypoglauca Palib.
- Family
- Dioscoreaceae
Form
- Part used
- rhizome
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- bitter
Temperature
- TCM
- neutral
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Kidney · Stomach · Bladder
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- separates the clear from the turbid, promotes urination, drains damp, dispels wind-damp from the channels
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution in Kidney yin deficiency with clear frequent urination
- Toxicity
- none of note
This is the card. Sign in for the full four-tradition entry — the aligned TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani reading, actions, dosing and cautions.