Witnessed by: TCM
Nippon yam (Dioscorea nipponica), of the Dioscoreaceae family. Twining perennial vine; native range: mountain forests and thickets of north-east China, Korea and Japan. Globally recognized as chuan shan long (穿山龙) in Chinese. The part used is rhizome. Long knotty yellow-brown rhizome, bitter with a starchy core.
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.
NIPPON YAM
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- nippon yam
- Scientific name
- Dioscorea nipponica Makino
- Family
- Dioscoreaceae
Form
- Part used
- rhizome
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- bitter · sweet
Temperature
- TCM
- neutral
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Liver · Lung
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- dispels wind-damp, invigorates blood, unblocks the channels, resolves phlegm, stops cough
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution in pregnancy
- Toxicity
- none of note
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