Introduction of Tian Zhu Huang:Tabashir or Concretio Silicea Bambusae.

TCM Herbalism:Medicinals and Classifications. ✵The article gives records of the herb Tabashir, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source 2 plant species, ①.Bambusa textilis McClure., ②.Schizostachyum chinense Rendle., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of these two plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these two plant species, the features of the herb Tabashir, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.

Concretio Silicea Bambusae(Tabashir).

growing plant of Bambusa textilis Pin Yin Name: Tiān Zhú Huánɡ.
 English Name: Tabashir.
 Latin Name: Concretio Silicea Bambusae.
 Property and flavor: cold, sweet.

 Brief introduction: The herb Concretio Silicea Bambusae is the dried masses of secretion in the stem of Bambusa textilis McClure, or Schizostachyum chinense Rendle, used to clear heat, cleanse the heart of phlegm for the treatment of impaired consciousness in high fever and stroke, and also for infantile convulsion. The herb is commonly known as Concretio Silicea Bambusae, Tabashir, Tiān Zhú Huánɡ.

 Botanical source: The herb Concretio Silicea Bambusae (Tabashir) is the dried masses of secretion in the stem of Bambusa textilis McClure, or Schizostachyum chinense Rendle, they are plants of the Bambusa Retz. corr. Schreber genus, the Gramineae family (Poaceae, grass family) of the Graminales order.

 Herbal classic book defined the herb Concretio Silicea Bambusae (Tabashir) as the dried masses of secretion in the stem of:(1). Bambusa textilis McClure., or (2). Schizostachyum chinense Rendle. These 2 commonly used species are introduced:

(1).Bambusa textilis McClure.


 flowing plants of Bambusa textilis McClure, growing plants in forest Botanical description: Bambusa textilis McClure is also known as Qing Pi Zhu. The rod is up to 8~10 meters, 3~5 cm in diameter, branch tip is curved and pendulous, lower part is straight and upright, internode length is 40~70 cm, green, when young, is covered with white wax powder, pale brown bristles closely adnate on it, turns glabrous later; branchlets grow in clusters at the middle and lower 7~11th nodes, the central branchlet is thick and long. The sheath around joints of bamboo is caducous, sheath ear is small and different in size, big sheath ear is narrowly oblong to lanceolate; the sheath tongue edge is dentate serrate; the sheath lobe is upright and easily falls off. The leaf sheath is glabrous, with an edge on the back and vertical ribs raised; the ear lobe is usually sickle-shaped, the edge has curved and radial hairs; the paraphyll edge is erose; the leaf blades are linear-lanceolate to narrow-lanceolate, generally 9~17 cm long, 1~2 cm wide, the apex is taper-pointed with a subulate thin tip, the base is orbicular or cuneate.

 False spikelets are solitary or tufted on nodes of flower branches, dark purple when fresh, bronze-coloured when dried; spikelets contain 5~8 flowerlets, flowerlet on the apex is sterile; 1 peristachyum, with 21 veins; lower palea is in elliptical shape, has 25 veins; palea is lanceolate, with 2 edges, 10 veins between edges; squamation is different in size, the edge is covered with long cilium; filaments are slender, anthers are yellow, ovary base has stalks, style is covered with short hirsute, 3 stigma, featheriness.

 Growth characteristics: The plant grows on the riverside, near the village, in areas at low altitudes. It is mainly distributed in the Zhujiang River area, and widely cultivated in the eastern, middle, and southwest areas of China.

 Characters of herbs: The herb is in irregular tablets or granules of different sizes, and some are 1~2 mm long. The surface is grayish white, cream white (milky white), taupe or cadet blue, translucent and slightly glossy. The herb is light, the texture of the herb is hard and brittle, easily broken, the fracture surface is glossy, slightly powdery and has a smooth sensation when it is touched. The herb is highly absorbent, bubbles are generated when it is put in water, but it is insoluble in water. The herb has a slight smell, a sweet taste, cool and refreshing. It is sticky when licked with the tongue and has a gravel feeling when chewing. The herb of a better grade is big, gray-white, glossy, has a fine texture, light, and has a strong hygroscopicity.

 Pharmacological actions: ①.inhibitory effect on common pyogenic cocci and intestinal pathogenic bacteria.

 Medicinal efficacy: Clearing away heat and eliminating phlegm, cool the heart and calm convulsion, indicated for delirium and coma of pyrexia, phlegmatic coma and not speak of apoplexia, infantile convulsion and hyperspasmia, epilepsy.

 Administration of Concretio Silicea Bambusae (Tiān Zhú Huánɡ): 
 
Reference: Administration Guide of Concretio Silicea Bambusae (Tiān Zhú Huánɡ)
TCM Books: ①.Internally:3~9 grams,prepare to pill,powder; ②.Internally:3~9 grams,water decoction, or prepare to pill,powder; prepare to finely ground herb powder, take 0.6~1 grams each time.Externally:proper amount,prepare to finely ground herb powder and apply stick at the affected area.

(2).Schizostachyum chinense Rendle.


 growing plant of Schizostachyum chinense Rendle. Botanical description: Schizostachyum chinense Rendle is also known as Leptocanna chinensis (Rendle) Chia et H.L.Fung., or Bao Zhu. The rod grows up to 5~8 meters high, and 2~3 cm in diameter. Internodes length is 30–45 cm, upper half part is white pilose when young and falls off when old. Branching usually starts from above the third node, stretching horizontally. The rod sheath is prunus (violet red) when young, and turns wither yellow when old, its length is normally half of the internode length; the sheath tip is nearly trapezoid; the sheath ear is narrow-linear; the sheath tongue is almost entire; the sheath lobe is narrow triangular, and the apex is long and sharp; the edge is inflexed (curls inward) at the part near the apex. The leaf sheath is glabrous, the apex is violet red; the leaf ear and sheath hair have awns, and the paraphyll (ligule) is truncated. Leaf blades are lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 15~26 cm long, 3~4.5 cm wide, veinlets are in 7~9 pairs, small crossvein is obvious, the apex is long and taper-pointed, the base is orbicular or broadly cuneate; petioles are purple red, glabrous, about 5 mm long. The flowering branch is 35~40 cm long, the internode length is 3~6 cm; the secondary branch is 5~10 cm long, the base is held by sheath-like bracts, and the base is amplexicaular (stem-clasping).

 False spikelet apex is acuminate; bracts are ovate-lanceolate, 7~11 mm long. Spikelet apex is acuminate; 2 peristachyum are ovate-lanceolate; the sterile lower palea is ovate-lanceolate, has 15 veins, the central edge on the backsurface is raised; the palea has 6 veins, and the apex has a bundle of short hairs, 3 squamation, veins are inconspicuous; the anther base has 2 lobes of unequal length; the ovary is nearly rod-shaped, style is long and narrow, stigma is plumelike.

 Ecological environment: The plant grows in evergreen broadleaved shrub, in areas at altitudes of 1,500~2,500 meters above sea level. It is mainly distributed in Yunnan and other areas of China.
 

 
  

 

 QR codeURL QR code:
 URL QR-code 

 
References:
  • 1.Introduction of Tian Zhu Huang:Tabashir or Concretio Silicea Bambusae.

 Last edit and latest revision date:
   cool hit counter