Witnessed by: TCM
Lang ya (Potentilla cryptotaeniae), of the Rosaceae family. Hairy perennial herb of the rose kind with divided leaves and small yellow flowers, from a short toothed rootstock; native range: Eastern Asia — northern and central China, Korea and Japan, on damp grassy slopes and stream banks. Globally recognized as lang ya (狼牙), sheng lang ya (生狼牙) in Chinese, and wolf's tooth, hidden-sheath cinquefoil in English. The part used is root and rootstock. A short, hard, dark rootstock beset with pointed tooth-like scars, bitter to the taste.
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.
LANG YA
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- lang ya
- Scientific name
- Potentilla cryptotaeniae Maxim.
- Family
- Rosaceae
Form
- Part used
- root and rootstock
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- bitter
Temperature
- TCM
- cold
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- clears heat and dries dampness, kills parasites and relieves itching, and resolves sores — used almost wholly externally
Cautions
- Toxicity
- regarded as slightly toxic and reserved for external use; not for internal administration except with caution
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