Witnessed by: Western
Rhatany (Krameria lappacea), of the Krameriaceae family. Low spreading shrub with a thick, red, astringent root; native range: dry Andean slopes of Peru and Bolivia. Globally recognized as Peruvian rhatany, red rhatany, mapato in English. The part used is root and its bark. Strongly astringent and tannin-rich, dark red, with a faintly sweetish undertone.
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.
RHATANY
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- rhatany
- Scientific name
- Krameria lappacea (Dombey) Burdet & B.B.Simpson
- Family
- Krameriaceae
Form
- Part used
- root and its bark
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Western
- astringent
Temperature
- Western
- cool, drying
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Western
- mucous membranes · intestines · bowels
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Western
- astringent, styptic, haemostatic, antimicrobial, tonic
Cautions
- Contraindications
- none significant in normal use
- Toxicity
- non-toxic; high tannin limits prolonged internal use
This is the card. Sign in for the full four-tradition entry — the aligned TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani reading, actions, dosing and cautions.