Introduction of She Chuang Zi:Common Cnidium Fruit or Fructus Cnidii.
✵The article gives records of the herb Common Cnidium Fruit, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., 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 Common Cnidium Fruit, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Fructus Cnidii(Common Cnidium Fruit).
Pin Yin Name: Shé Chuánɡ Zǐ.
English Name: Common Cnidium Fruit.
Latin Name: Fructus Cnidii.
Property and flavor: warm nature, tastes pungent, bitter.
Brief introduction: The herb Fructus Cnidii is the dried ripe fruit of Cnidium monnieri(L.) Cuss., used (1).externally as an astringent and antiparasitic for treating eczema, pruritus vulvae, and trichomonas vaginitis, and (2).internally to warm the kidney and promote virility for the treatment of impotence. The herb is commonly known as Fructus Cnidii, Common Cnidium Fruit, Shé Chuánɡ Zǐ.
Botanical source: Herbal classic book defined the herb Fructus Cnidii (Common Cnidium Fruit) as the dried ripe fruit of the plant species Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss. It is a plant of the Cnidium Cusson genus, the Apiaceae family (Umbelliferae, parsley family) of the Apiales order. This commonly used species is introduced:
Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss.
Botanical description: The plant, Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss is also known as Selinum monnieri L., it is commonly known as Shé Chuánɡ. An annual herb, the plant grows up to 10–60 cm high, or 20-80 cm high; roots are conical, thin, and long; stems are upright or obliquely ascending, cylindrical, many-branched, and hollow, the surface has deep vertical stripes, and ridges often have short hairs; radical leaves are short stipitate, leaf sheath is short and wide, edges are membraneous, leaves on the upper part are almost simplified and sheathed; leaf blades are oval (egg-shaped) to triangular-ovate, 3-8 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, 2-3-ternate pinnatisect; terminal lobes are linear (filate) to linear-lanceolate, 3-10 mm long, width is 1-1.5 mm, has a small pointed tip, edges and veins are rough.
Composite umbels (compound umbels) are apical or lateral, 2~3 cm in diameter; 6 ~ 10 involucral bracts, linear (filate) to linear-lanceolate, length is about 5 mm, edges are membraneous, pubescent; 8–20 umbrella spokes, unequal, 0.5~2 cm long, rough on edges; many bracteoles (bractlets), linear (filate), 3~5 mm long, edges are membraneous, has thin and fine cilia; umbellule (umbellet) has 15–20 flowers, calyx teeth are inconspicuous; flower petals are white, the front end has inflexed small ligules; stylopodium is slightly raised, style is 1~1.5 mm long, recurved.
Mericarps are oblong, 1.3~3 mm long, 1~2 mm wide, transverse cross-section is subpentagonal (nearly pentagonal), 5 main ridges (main ribs), all expand and turn aliform (wing-like); 1 vittae (oil duct) in each ridge groove, 2 vittae on the commissure; the ventral surface of the endosperm is flat and straight. Its flowering period is from April to June, and the fruiting period is from May to July.
Ecological environment: The plant, Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., grows on low mountain slopes, fields, roadsides, gullies, and riverside marshes. It is distributed in the east, south, southwest, northwest, and northern areas of China. It is also found in North America, European countries, and other regions.
Growth characteristics: The plant, Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., prefers a warm, moist environment, is resistant to coldness and drought, has wide adaptability, and its requirements in the soil and preceding crop are not strict. But it is more appropriate to choose a sunny, gentle-slope land, sandy loam or clay loam with good drainage, it is not appropriate to choose low-lying and easily waterlogged land for planting.
Characters of herbs: The cremocarp is fine and small, elliptic, about 1.8-3.2 mm long, and about 1-2 mm in diameter, the surface is taupe brown (grayish-brown) or tawny (yellow-brown), two excurved stylopodium grow at the tip, some base has small carpopodium. The back of the schizocarp has 5 vertical ridges with aliform (winglike) protrusions, the commissure is flat, and slightly concave inward, and there are tenuous carpophore attached in the center (carpophore is bifurcated to the base.). The pericarp is loose and crisp, and easily falls off when it is rubbed. Seeds are weeny, grayish-brown or yellowish-green, and have oiliness (oily). The herb has an aromatic fragrance, and it tastes pungent, and cool, and has a tingling sensation. The herb of a better grade has full seeds, yellowish green, and a strong pungent spicy fragrance when it is rubbed.
Pharmacological actions: The herb Fructus Cnidii has ①.trichomonacidal effect; ②.sex hormone-like effect; ③. respiratory system effect: it's component total coumarin has an antiasthmatic effect, expectorant effect, bronchial dilation effect, relieve asthma effect; ④.antibacterial effect: the herb has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa; ⑤.antifungal effect; ⑥.anti-arrhythmia; ⑦. local anesthetic effect; ⑧.anti-allergic and passive skin allergic reaction; ⑨.anti-mutagenesis effect; ⑩.kill mosquito larvae in sewage and so on.
Medicinal efficacy: Dry dampness dispelling wind, killing parasites and relieve itching, warm the kidney and strengthening Yang. It is indicated for kidney deficiency and asynodia (impotentia), wet itchy of oschea (dampness, itching of scrotum), pruritus vulvae and morbid leukorrhea, cold dampness and morbid leukorrhea, pruritus vulvae and swelling pain, cold uterus and infertility, eczema itching, rheumatic arthralgia pain, arthritis with fixed pain caused by dampness and lumbago, scabies and wet sore, etc.
Administration of Fructus Cnidii (Shé Chuánɡ Zǐ):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Fructus Cnidii (Shé Chuánɡ Zǐ)
TCM Books:
①.Internally: 3~10 grams. Externally:proper amount, mostly fumigation wash with water decoction, or prepare to finely ground herb powder, mixed and apply stick; ②.Internally:water decoction, 1~3 qian (about 3~9 grams);or prepare to pill. Externally:fumigation wash with water decoction, or prepare as suppository, or prepare to finely ground herb powder, mixed and apply stick; ③.Internally:water decoction, 3~9 grams;or prepared to pill,powder. Externally:proper amount, fumigation wash with water decoction, or prepare as suppository,or prepare to finely ground herb powder, mixed and apply stick.
Contraindications,Precautions and Adverse Reactions: The herb Fructus Cnidii should not be combined with Tree peony bark, Bulbus Fritillaria, etc.
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1.Introduction of She Chuang Zi:Common Cnidium Fruit or Fructus Cnidii.
✵The article gives records of the herb Common Cnidium Fruit, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., 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 Common Cnidium Fruit, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Pin Yin Name: Shé Chuánɡ Zǐ.
Botanical description: The plant, Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss is also known as Selinum monnieri L., it is commonly known as Shé Chuánɡ. An annual herb, the plant grows up to 10–60 cm high, or 20-80 cm high; roots are conical, thin, and long; stems are upright or obliquely ascending, cylindrical, many-branched, and hollow, the surface has deep vertical stripes, and ridges often have short hairs; radical leaves are short stipitate, leaf sheath is short and wide, edges are membraneous, leaves on the upper part are almost simplified and sheathed; leaf blades are oval (egg-shaped) to triangular-ovate, 3-8 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, 2-3-ternate pinnatisect; terminal lobes are linear (filate) to linear-lanceolate, 3-10 mm long, width is 1-1.5 mm, has a small pointed tip, edges and veins are rough.
Composite umbels (compound umbels) are apical or lateral, 2~3 cm in diameter; 6 ~ 10 involucral bracts, linear (filate) to linear-lanceolate, length is about 5 mm, edges are membraneous, pubescent; 8–20 umbrella spokes, unequal, 0.5~2 cm long, rough on edges; many bracteoles (bractlets), linear (filate), 3~5 mm long, edges are membraneous, has thin and fine cilia; umbellule (umbellet) has 15–20 flowers, calyx teeth are inconspicuous; flower petals are white, the front end has inflexed small ligules; stylopodium is slightly raised, style is 1~1.5 mm long, recurved.
Growth characteristics: The plant, Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., prefers a warm, moist environment, is resistant to coldness and drought, has wide adaptability, and its requirements in the soil and preceding crop are not strict. But it is more appropriate to choose a sunny, gentle-slope land, sandy loam or clay loam with good drainage, it is not appropriate to choose low-lying and easily waterlogged land for planting.
Characters of herbs: The cremocarp is fine and small, elliptic, about 1.8-3.2 mm long, and about 1-2 mm in diameter, the surface is taupe brown (grayish-brown) or tawny (yellow-brown), two excurved stylopodium grow at the tip, some base has small carpopodium. The back of the schizocarp has 5 vertical ridges with aliform (winglike) protrusions, the commissure is flat, and slightly concave inward, and there are tenuous carpophore attached in the center (carpophore is bifurcated to the base.). The pericarp is loose and crisp, and easily falls off when it is rubbed. Seeds are weeny, grayish-brown or yellowish-green, and have oiliness (oily). The herb has an aromatic fragrance, and it tastes pungent, and cool, and has a tingling sensation. The herb of a better grade has full seeds, yellowish green, and a strong pungent spicy fragrance when it is rubbed.
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