Introduction of Fei Zi:Grand Torreya Seed or Semen Torreyae.
✵The article gives records of the herb Grand Torreya Seed, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Torreya grandis Fort., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of this plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this plant species, the features of the herb Grand Torreya Seed, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Semen Torreyae(Grand Torreya Seed).
Pin Yin Name: Fěi Zǐ.
English Name: Grand Torreya Seed.
Latin Name: Semen Torreyae.
Property and flavor: neutral in nature, tastes sweet, puckery.
Brief introduction: The herb Semen Torreyae is the dried ripe seed of Chinese Torreya, Torreya grandis Fort., used as an anthelmintic and laxative for the treatment of taeniasis, enterobiasis, ancylostomiasia, ascariasis, and fasciolopsiasis. The herb is commonly known as Semen Torreyae, Grand Torreya Seed, Fěi Zǐ.
Botanical source: Herbal classic book defined the herb Semen Torreyae (Grand Torreya Seed) as the dried ripe seed of the plant species Torreya grandis Fort. It is a plant of the Torreya Arn Genus, the Taxaceae family (taxad, yew family) of the Cupressales order. This commonly used species is introduced:
Torreya grandis Fort.
Botanical description: The plant, Torreya grandis Fort.ex Lindl is also known as Torreya grandis Fort.var.dielsii Hu., it is commonly known as Chinese Torreya, or Fěi. Evergreen trees, the tree grows up to 25 meters high, the DBH (diameter at breast height) is up to 55 cm, the bark is ravous (pale grayish-yellow), perse (charcoal grey), or taupe (grayish brown), irregularly longitudinally dehiscent. Branchlets are subopposite or verticillate, branchlets of the same year are green, branchlets of two to three years are yellow-green, fawn colour (flavotestaceous), dark greenish-yellow, rarely hazel (pale brown). Leaves are strip-shaped, usually straight, 1.1~2.5 cm long, 2.5~4 cm wide, the front tip is convex pointed or has an acanthous short tip, base is rounded, the upper surface is smooth and green, mid-veins are not conspicuous, has 2 slightly distinct vertical grooves, the under surface is pea green (pale green), the stomatic band is the equal length as the band of the midvein, or slightly wider.
Dioecious, male strobilus (male cones) are solitary and grow in leaf axils, female strobilus (female cone) are in pairs and grow in leaf axils, 2 pairs of decussate bracts at each base and a lateral bracteole (bractlet), ovules are upright, solitary and grow on aril (arillus).
Seeds are elliptic, ovoid, obovate or oblong oval, 2~4.5 cm long, 1.5~2.5 cm in diameter, aril is pale purplish-brown at maturity, glaucous, front end has a small convex tip, the endosperm is slightly wrinkled. It is flowering in April, seeds matures in October of the following year.
Ecological environment: The plant grows in warm and moist yellow soil, red loam, and yellow-brown loam, grow in forests. Resources distribution: The plant is distributed in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and Dabie Mountains, and other mountains at altitudes below 1,400 meters above sea level.
Growth characteristics: The plant, Torreya grandis is suitable to grow in a cool, foggy, and moist environment. It can withstand shade when young and needs sufficient sunlight in florescence (flowering period) and fruiting period. It is appropriate to choose a field with deep soil layers, loose and fertile, acid or slightly acid loam with good drainage for cultivation, and it is not suitable to cultivate in arid and barren fields.
Characters of herbs: Seeds are spheroidic or long ovoid, length is 2~3.5 cm or 2~4 cm, diameter is 1.3~2 cm or 1.5~2.5 cm. The outer surface is yellowish-brown to dark brown, slightly with longitudinal ridges, one end is blunt, with an elliptic hilum, light colored, and smoother, and the other end is slightly pointed. The spermoderm (seed coat) is firm and crisp, thickness is about 1 mm. After being broken, one seed kernel is visible, which is oval, the perisperm is membraneous, taupe (grayish brown), extremely shriveled, and the endosperm is hypertrophic, yellowish-white, the texture is firm and farctate, and oily. The herb has a slight odor, it tastes slightly sweet and puckery. The herb has an aromatic fragrance after stir-frying.
Pharmacological actions: ①.inhibit and kill ankylostome (ancylostome, hookworm), can dispel cat tapeworm, the seed oil has the effect of dispelling ankylostome (ancylostome, hookworm); ②.The alkaloids of Torreya Seed can make the uterus contract.
Medicinal efficacy: Dispelling and killing parasite, removing Qi stagnation or food retention, moistening the lung and relieve cough, moisturizing dryness syndrome, relaxing the bowels. It is indicated for intestinal parasitosis (intestinal parasitic disease), ancylostomiasis (hookworm disease), ascaridiasis (ascariasis), cestodiasis (taeniasis), enterozoic abdominalgia (abdominal pain due to parasitic infestation), infantile malnutritional stagnation, irritating dry cough (cough caused by dryness), xeropulmonary cough (cough of pulmonary dryness), constipation due to intestinal dryness, constipation, hemorrhoids, etc.
Administration of Semen Torreyae (Fěi Zǐ):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Semen Torreyae (Fěi Zǐ)
TCM Books:
①.Internally:9~15 grams, ②.Internally:water decoction, 1.5~3 qian (about 4.5~9 grams);or prepare to pill, powder, ③.Internally:water decoction,15~50 grams;use raw herb with shell, cracked before decoction; or 10~40 grains, fried and hulled, chewing the kernel;or prepare to pill, powder. To dispel parasite, better use large dosage, taken at a draught;to treat constipation or hemorrhoids, better use small dosage, take frequently.
Contraindications,Precautions and Adverse Reactions:The shell of the herb Semen Torreyae should not be combined with green mung bean.
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1.Introduction of Fei Zi:Grand Torreya Seed or Semen Torreyae.
✵The article gives records of the herb Grand Torreya Seed, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Torreya grandis Fort., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of this plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this plant species, the features of the herb Grand Torreya Seed, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Pin Yin Name: Fěi Zǐ.
Botanical source: Herbal classic book defined the herb Semen Torreyae (Grand Torreya Seed) as the dried ripe seed of the plant species Torreya grandis Fort. It is a plant of the Torreya Arn Genus, the Taxaceae family (taxad, yew family) of the Cupressales order. This commonly used species is introduced:
Botanical description: The plant, Torreya grandis Fort.ex Lindl is also known as Torreya grandis Fort.var.dielsii Hu., it is commonly known as Chinese Torreya, or Fěi. Evergreen trees, the tree grows up to 25 meters high, the DBH (diameter at breast height) is up to 55 cm, the bark is ravous (pale grayish-yellow), perse (charcoal grey), or taupe (grayish brown), irregularly longitudinally dehiscent. Branchlets are subopposite or verticillate, branchlets of the same year are green, branchlets of two to three years are yellow-green, fawn colour (flavotestaceous), dark greenish-yellow, rarely hazel (pale brown). Leaves are strip-shaped, usually straight, 1.1~2.5 cm long, 2.5~4 cm wide, the front tip is convex pointed or has an acanthous short tip, base is rounded, the upper surface is smooth and green, mid-veins are not conspicuous, has 2 slightly distinct vertical grooves, the under surface is pea green (pale green), the stomatic band is the equal length as the band of the midvein, or slightly wider.
Seeds are elliptic, ovoid, obovate or oblong oval, 2~4.5 cm long, 1.5~2.5 cm in diameter, aril is pale purplish-brown at maturity, glaucous, front end has a small convex tip, the endosperm is slightly wrinkled. It is flowering in April, seeds matures in October of the following year.
Growth characteristics: The plant, Torreya grandis is suitable to grow in a cool, foggy, and moist environment. It can withstand shade when young and needs sufficient sunlight in florescence (flowering period) and fruiting period. It is appropriate to choose a field with deep soil layers, loose and fertile, acid or slightly acid loam with good drainage for cultivation, and it is not suitable to cultivate in arid and barren fields.
Characters of herbs: Seeds are spheroidic or long ovoid, length is 2~3.5 cm or 2~4 cm, diameter is 1.3~2 cm or 1.5~2.5 cm. The outer surface is yellowish-brown to dark brown, slightly with longitudinal ridges, one end is blunt, with an elliptic hilum, light colored, and smoother, and the other end is slightly pointed. The spermoderm (seed coat) is firm and crisp, thickness is about 1 mm. After being broken, one seed kernel is visible, which is oval, the perisperm is membraneous, taupe (grayish brown), extremely shriveled, and the endosperm is hypertrophic, yellowish-white, the texture is firm and farctate, and oily. The herb has a slight odor, it tastes slightly sweet and puckery. The herb has an aromatic fragrance after stir-frying.
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