Introduction of Cao Dou Kou: Katsumada Galangal Seed
✵The article documents the herb Katsumada Galangal Seed, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely the single plant species Alpinia katsumadai Hayata—and provides a detailed description of this species’ botanical features, growth characteristics, ecological environment, as well as the herb’s macroscopic characteristics, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Cǎo Dòu Kòu
English Name: Katsumada Galangal Seed
Latin Name:Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai Properties and Flavor: Warm; pungent
Brief Introduction:Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai is the dried seed of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata. It is used to dry dampness, regulate Qi, and warm the middle energizer to alleviate epigastric pain, vomiting, and diarrhea caused by cold-damp accumulation or Qi stagnation in the Spleen and Stomach. The herb is commonly known as Katsumada Galangal Seed, Seed of Katsumada Galangal, or Cǎo Dòu Kòu.
Botanical Source: Classical herbal works define Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai (Katsumada Galangal Seed) as the dried seed of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata—a perennial plant of the genus Alpinia, family Zingiberaceae (ginger family), and order Zingiberales. This widely used species is described below:
(1) Alpinia katsumadai Hayata.
Botanical Description:Alpinia katsumadai Hayata is also known as Languas katsumadai (Hayata) Merr. and is commonly called Cǎo Dòu Kòu. It is a perennial cespitose herb growing up to 1.5–3 meters tall. The petiole is 1.5–2 cm long; leaf blades are narrowly elliptic or linear-lanceolate, 50–65 cm long and 6–9 cm wide; the apex is acuminate; the base is attenuate; the margins bear setae (trichomes); both surfaces are glabrous, or the lower surface is sparsely hirsute. The paraphyll (ligule) is ovate (egg-shaped), 5–8 mm long, and externally covered with coarse hairs.
Racemes are terminal and erect, 20–30 cm long; the rachis is densely covered with coarse hairs; pedicels are ~3 mm long; bracteoles are cream-white (milky white), broadly elliptic, ~3.5 cm long, with an obtuse apex and connate base. The calyx is campanulate (bell-shaped), white, 1.5–2.5 cm long, irregularly 3-crenate at the apex, deeply partite on one side, and pilose externally. The corolla is white; the corolla tube is ~8 mm long; it has three oblong lobes—the upper lobes are larger (~3.5 cm long × ~3.0 cm wide), bilobed at the apex, incised at the margin, with red or reddish-black stripes on the anterior surface and pale violet-red (lavender) spots on the posterior surface. Lateral staminodes are lanceolate, ~4 mm long, or sometimes absent. There is one fertile stamen, 2.2–2.5 cm long; the anther is elliptic; the dorsal surface of the septum bears glandular hairs; the filament is flattened, ~1.5 cm long. The ovary is ovate, inferior, and densely covered with pale yellow, silky hairs.
The capsule is orbicular, ~3 cm in diameter, externally covered with coarse hairs, and turns yellow upon maturity. Its flowering period is from April to June; the fruiting period is from June to August.
Ecological Environment:Alpinia katsumadai Hayata grows in hilly and mountainous regions, open forests, ravines and gullies, along riversides, and in moist habitats at forest edges.
Growth Characteristics:Alpinia katsumadai prefers a warm, humid climate and a semi-shaded environment. Cultivation is best carried out in sparse forests with deep, fertile, loose loamy soil. Propagation is achieved via seeds or rhizome divisions (ramets).
Characteristics of the Herb: The herb consists of aggregated seed masses (seed balls), subglobular or elliptic in shape, bearing three conspicuous blunt ribs and three shallow grooves; dimensions are 1.5–3 cm in length and 1.5–3 cm in diameter. The surface is taupe-brown (grayish brown) or yellowish-brown. A yellowish-white or pale brown septum runs centrally, dividing the seed mass into three loculi; each loculus contains 22–110 tightly adherent seeds that are difficult to separate and appear slightly smooth. Individual seeds are oval polyhedra, 3–5 mm long and 2.5–3 mm in diameter; the dorsal surface is slightly convex; the hilum is round-nest-shaped and located at the thicker end; the chalaza lies in the slightly emarginate (concave) central region of the flattened end; a longitudinal groove extends ventrally from the hilum to the chalaza, along which a pale brown raphe runs; another longitudinal groove extends from the chalaza dorsally, terminating before reaching the hilum. The herb is hard in texture; the fracture surface is creamy white. It possesses a fragrant aroma and tastes pungent, spicy, and slightly bitter. Higher-grade herb material is large, plump, and strongly aromatic.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus dysenteriae, and Escherichia coli; (2) Excitatory effect on isolated guinea pig ileum.
Medicinal efficacy: Drying dampness and strengthening the Spleen; warming the Stomach and arresting vomiting; warming the Middle energizer; dispelling cold; and promoting Qi circulation. It is indicated for internal accumulation of cold-damp, epigastric and abdominal cold pain, epigastric and abdominal distension and fullness with cold pain, cold-damp stagnation in the Spleen and Stomach, distension, fullness, and food retention (dyspepsia), belching, nausea, vomiting, regurgitation, anorexia, diarrhea with undigested food, cold-damp-induced vomiting and diarrhea, phlegm-damp retention, abdominal masses, beriberi, intermittent malaria, and halitosis (bad breath).
Administration of Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai (Cǎo Dòu Kòu):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Semen Alpiniae Katsumadai (Cǎo Dòu Kòu)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 3–6 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 0.8–1.5 qian (≈2.4–4.5 grams), or prepared as pills or powder; (3) Internally: water decoction, 3–6 grams—preferably added in the late of decoction—or prepared as pills or powder.
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1.Introduction of Cao Dou Kou: Katsumada Galangal Seed
✵The article documents the herb Katsumada Galangal Seed, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely the single plant species Alpinia katsumadai Hayata—and provides a detailed description of this species’ botanical features, growth characteristics, ecological environment, as well as the herb’s macroscopic characteristics, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Cǎo Dòu Kòu
Botanical Description: Alpinia katsumadai Hayata is also known as Languas katsumadai (Hayata) Merr. and is commonly called Cǎo Dòu Kòu. It is a perennial cespitose herb growing up to 1.5–3 meters tall. The petiole is 1.5–2 cm long; leaf blades are narrowly elliptic or linear-lanceolate, 50–65 cm long and 6–9 cm wide; the apex is acuminate; the base is attenuate; the margins bear setae (trichomes); both surfaces are glabrous, or the lower surface is sparsely hirsute. The paraphyll (ligule) is ovate (egg-shaped), 5–8 mm long, and externally covered with coarse hairs.
Racemes are terminal and erect, 20–30 cm long; the rachis is densely covered with coarse hairs; pedicels are ~3 mm long; bracteoles are cream-white (milky white), broadly elliptic, ~3.5 cm long, with an obtuse apex and connate base. The calyx is campanulate (bell-shaped), white, 1.5–2.5 cm long, irregularly 3-crenate at the apex, deeply partite on one side, and pilose externally. The corolla is white; the corolla tube is ~8 mm long; it has three oblong lobes—the upper lobes are larger (~3.5 cm long × ~3.0 cm wide), bilobed at the apex, incised at the margin, with red or reddish-black stripes on the anterior surface and pale violet-red (lavender) spots on the posterior surface. Lateral staminodes are lanceolate, ~4 mm long, or sometimes absent. There is one fertile stamen, 2.2–2.5 cm long; the anther is elliptic; the dorsal surface of the septum bears glandular hairs; the filament is flattened, ~1.5 cm long. The ovary is ovate, inferior, and densely covered with pale yellow, silky hairs.
The capsule is orbicular, ~3 cm in diameter, externally covered with coarse hairs, and turns yellow upon maturity. Its flowering period is from April to June; the fruiting period is from June to August.
Characteristics of the Herb: The herb consists of aggregated seed masses (seed balls), subglobular or elliptic in shape, bearing three conspicuous blunt ribs and three shallow grooves; dimensions are 1.5–3 cm in length and 1.5–3 cm in diameter. The surface is taupe-brown (grayish brown) or yellowish-brown. A yellowish-white or pale brown septum runs centrally, dividing the seed mass into three loculi; each loculus contains 22–110 tightly adherent seeds that are difficult to separate and appear slightly smooth. Individual seeds are oval polyhedra, 3–5 mm long and 2.5–3 mm in diameter; the dorsal surface is slightly convex; the hilum is round-nest-shaped and located at the thicker end; the chalaza lies in the slightly emarginate (concave) central region of the flattened end; a longitudinal groove extends ventrally from the hilum to the chalaza, along which a pale brown raphe runs; another longitudinal groove extends from the chalaza dorsally, terminating before reaching the hilum. The herb is hard in texture; the fracture surface is creamy white. It possesses a fragrant aroma and tastes pungent, spicy, and slightly bitter. Higher-grade herb material is large, plump, and strongly aromatic.
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