Herbs

Angelica dahurica root

Opens the nose and the yang brightness of the face.

Field mint

Cool and aromatic. A light herb for wind-heat and a tight head.

Saposhnikovia root

A milder wind herb, used when the surface is not extremely closed.

Kudzu root

Releases the muscle layer, especially a stiff neck.

Cinnamon twig

Warms the channels and helps a mild surface pattern.

Chrysanthemum flower

Cools the head and is the flower students learn for the eyes.

Ephedra

Strongly releases the surface. A regulated plant, not a home stimulant.

Fresh ginger

Warms the middle and is the kitchen herb for mild nausea.

Cimicifuga rhizome

Raises yang and vents a heat rash in textbook language.

Phellodendron bark

Clears damp-heat in the lower body in textbook language.

Coptis rhizome

Very bitter, very cold. Clears heat in the heart and stomach in textbooks.

Scutellaria root

Clears heat and dries damp, especially in the upper burner and the gut.

Honeysuckle flower

A sweet cold flower for heat in the upper body.

Forsythia fruit

Clears heat-toxin and is usually written with honeysuckle.

Gypsum

A mineral that texts use for big heat and big thirst.

Anemarrhena rhizome

Clears heat and also moistens, unlike the drying bitters.

Gardenia fruit

Drains heat and irritability through the three burners, in the usual phrase.

Poria

A mild fungus that leaches damp and quiets the heart in textbooks.

Coix seed

A grain-like seed that drains damp and eases a heavy body.

Alisma rhizome

Drains damp from the lower body and is said to settle ministerial fire.

Pinellia rhizome

The main phlegm herb. Raw pinellia is toxic. Only prepared herb belongs in a formula.

Bupleurum root

Soothes liver qi and is the shaoyang herb.

Aged tangerine peel

Moves qi in the middle and dries damp phlegm.

Magnolia bark

Moves qi and dries damp in a stuck, full abdomen.

Aucklandia root

Aromatic, moves qi, and is aimed at intestinal pain and tenesmus in texts.

Cyperus rhizome

The qi herb most often aimed at the liver and the menstrual cycle.

Szechuan lovage

Moves qi and blood and is the head herb in many pain formulas.

Salvia root

Moves blood and cools, with a special relationship to the heart in texts.

Safflower

A strong blood mover. Small amounts in formulas, not a casual tea.

Peach kernel

Breaks blood stasis and also moistens the intestines in textbooks.

Corydalis rhizome

The pain herb. Moves qi and blood. Not a home analgesic.

White atractylodes

Strengthens the spleen and dries damp.

Jujube fruit

A food fruit that harmonizes formulas and mildly supports the spleen.

Licorice root

Harmonizes formulas. Also the herb most likely to cause trouble if eaten daily in quantity.

Astragalus root

Tonifies qi and is said to firm the surface.

Ginseng root

Strongly tonifies source qi. Easy to misuse, and not a stimulant.

White peony root

Softens the liver, nourishes blood, and eases cramping.

Chinese angelica root

Nourishes and gently moves blood. The women’s-health herb everyone has heard of.

Prepared rehmannia

The heavy blood and yin tonic. Prepared root, not the raw one.

Eucommia bark

Warms and supports the low back and the kidneys in textbook language.

Cinnamon bark

Hot bark that returns fire to the source, in the classical phrase.

Epimedium

The kidney-yang herb students meet when textbooks discuss erectile difficulty.

Goji berry

A food-like fruit for liver and kidney yin, especially the eyes in texts.

Ophiopogon tuber

Moistens the lung and stomach and quiets irritability from dryness.

Dragon bone

A heavy mineral substance used to settle the spirit.

Spiny jujube seed

The seed students learn first for sleep.

Polygala root

Connects the heart and kidney, in the phrase, and transforms phlegm that clouds the spirit.

Uncaria vine

Cools the liver and extinguishes wind. Hooks are the medicinal part.

Gastrodia tuber

Extinguishes internal wind. The dizziness and headache herb in school.

Cornus fruit

Astringes and supports liver and kidney yin.

Schisandra fruit

Astringes the lung and is said to hold leaking qi.