Introduction of Huá Shān Shēn: Funneled Physochlaina Root
✵This article documents the herb Funneled Physochlaina Root, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely, the single plant species (1) Physochlaina infundibularis Kuang—with a detailed description of its botanical features, growth characteristics, ecological environment, macroscopic characteristics of the dried root, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Radix Physochlainae (Funneled Physochlaina Root)
Pinyin Name: Huá Shān Shen
English Name: Funneled Physochlaina Root
Latin Name:Radix Physochlainae Properties and Flavor: Warm; pungent and sweet.
Brief Introduction:Radix Physochlainae is the dried root of Physochlaina infundibularis Kuang, a funnel-shaped perennial herb. It is used to relieve cough and dyspnea and to induce sedation. It is commonly known as Radix Physochlainae, Funneled Physochlaina Root, or Huá Shān Shēn.
Botanical Source:Radix Physochlainae (Funneled Physochlaina Root) is the dried root of Physochlaina infundibularis Kuang, a plant of the genus Physochlaina, family Solanaceae (nightshade family), order Solanales (formerly in order Tubiflorae). It is also known as Funneled Physochlaina Root, Huá Shān Shēn. This commonly used species is described below:
(1) Physochlaina infundibularis Kuang.
Botanical Description:Physochlaina infundibularis Kuang is also known as Lóu Dòu Pào Náng Cǎo ("a herb with funnel- and vesicle-shaped structures") or Huá Shān Shēn. It is a perennial herb, growing 20–60 cm tall. Roots are stout, succulent, and pyramidal-cylindrical. Stems are erect, covered with glandular pubescence, and often occur in clusters. Leaves are alternate; leaf blades are coriaceous, oval, broadly ovate, or triangular-broadly ovate, 4–9 cm long and 4–8 cm wide; the apex is acute or acuminate; the base is cordate or truncate, abruptly narrowing into a petiole 2–7 cm long.
Inflorescences are cymose, terminal or axillary; pedicels are ~7 cm long and densely covered with white pilose hairs; the calyx is funnel-campanulate with five lobes—oblong-ovate or lanceolate-triangular—bearing white pilose hairs on margins and outer surface; it enlarges into a globular saccus during fruiting. The corolla is funnel-campanulate, yellowish-green (sometimes with yellowish-green margins and a purplish-brown basal portion), five-lobed, broadly ovate to triangular; both outer surface and margins are pilose. There are five stamens, inserted below the corolla tube; the ovary is bilocular; the style is filiform.
The fruit is a capsule that dehisces via an operculum and remains enclosed within the persistent, saccular calyx. Seeds are reniform. Flowering occurs from March to May; fruiting occurs from May to June.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows in valleys and forest margins.
Characteristics of the Herb: Roots are long-conical or cylindrical, slightly curved, sometimes branched, 10–20 cm long and 1–2.5 cm in diameter. One or several rhizomes are usually present at the apex, bearing stem scars and verruciform protrusions. The surface is brown, marked by transverse, yellowish-white lenticels, fibrous root scars, vertical wrinkles, and dense annular ridges on the upper portion. The texture is hard and brittle; the fracture surface is uneven; the cortex is narrow and off-white; the xylem is broad, yellowish (light yellow), and exhibits fine radial vascular bundles. The herb has a faint odor, sometimes reminiscent of tobacco; it tastes slightly bitter and produces mild numbness on the tongue. Higher-grade herb material is plump, with a clean, off-white fracture surface.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Central nervous system depressant (sedative) effect; (2) Antiasthmatic effect; (3) Antispasmodic effect; (4) Mydriatic effect (pupillary dilation).
Medicinal efficacy: Tonifies deficiency, warms the middle energizer, calms the shen (spirit), and alleviates asthma. Indicated for fatigue, physical debility, deficiency-cold diarrhea, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, cough and asthma due to phlegm-damp accumulation, night sweats, and spontaneous sweating.
Administration of Radix Physochlainae (Huá Shān Shen):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Radix Physochlainae (Huá Shān Shēn)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 0.1–0.2 grams; (2) Internally:water decoction, 1–3 fēn (≈ 0.3–0.9 grams); (3) Internally: 0.3~0.9 grams in decoction or prepared as powder.
Precautions and Adverse Reactions: Avoid contact with iron utensils. Contraindicated with faeces trogopterorum, Chinese honey locust, black soya bean, brine, black false hellebore, etc.
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1.Introduction of Huá Shān Shēn: Funneled Physochlaina Root
✵This article documents the herb Funneled Physochlaina Root, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely, the single plant species (1) Physochlaina infundibularis Kuang—with a detailed description of its botanical features, growth characteristics, ecological environment, macroscopic characteristics of the dried root, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Huá Shān Shen
Botanical Description: Physochlaina infundibularis Kuang is also known as Lóu Dòu Pào Náng Cǎo ("a herb with funnel- and vesicle-shaped structures") or Huá Shān Shēn. It is a perennial herb, growing 20–60 cm tall. Roots are stout, succulent, and pyramidal-cylindrical. Stems are erect, covered with glandular pubescence, and often occur in clusters. Leaves are alternate; leaf blades are coriaceous, oval, broadly ovate, or triangular-broadly ovate, 4–9 cm long and 4–8 cm wide; the apex is acute or acuminate; the base is cordate or truncate, abruptly narrowing into a petiole 2–7 cm long.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows in valleys and forest margins.
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