Introduction of Pu Huang:Cat-tail Pollen or Pollen Typhae.

TCM Herbalism:Medicinals and Classifications. ✵The article gives records of the herb Cat-tail Pollen, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its herbal classic book defined botanical source two plant species, ①.Typha angustifolia L., ②.Typha orientalis Presl., and other two usable plant species, ③.Typha latifolia L., ④.Typha angustata Bory et Chaub., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of these four plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of these four plant species, the features of the herb Cat-tail Pollen, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.

Pollen Typhae(Cat-tail Pollen).

dried ywllow powder of Pollen Typhae Pin Yin Name: Pú Huánɡ.
 English Name: Cat-tail Pollen.
 Latin Name: Pollen Typhae.
 Property and flavor: neutral in nature,slightly pungent,sweet.

 Brief introduction: The herb Pollen Typhae is the dried pollen of Typha angustifolia L., Typha orientalis Presl., or related species, used to promote the circulation of the blood and relieve pain by eliminating blood stasis for the treatment of dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain, and gastralgia. The herb is commonly known as Pollen Typhae, Cat-tail Pollen, Pú Huánɡ.

 Botanical source: Herbal classic book defined the herb Pollen Typhae (Cat-tail Pollen) as the dried pollen of the species (1). Typha angustifolia L., (2). Typha orientalis Presl. Other famous herbal classics defined the herb Pollen Typhae (Cat-tail Pollen) as the dried pollen of the species (1). Typha angustifolia L., (2). Typha orientalis Presl., (3). Typha latifolia L., (4). Typha angustata Bory et Chaub. They are plants of the Typha Linn. genus, the Typhaceae family (Typhaceae Juss. family) of the Typhales order. These 2 commonly used species and the other 2 usable species are introduced:

(1).Typha angustifolia L.


 growing plants of Typha angustifolia L. with two brownish spikes Botanical description: Typha angustifolia L is commonly known as Shuǐ Zhú Xiāng Pú, or Xiá Yè Xiāng Pú (means narrow-leaf typha). A perennial herb, the plant grows up to 1.5~3 meters high. Roots are procumbent, with many fibrous roots. Leaves are narrowly linear, 5~8 mm wide, rarely up to 10 mm wide.

 Flowers are small, unisexual (separate), and monoecious; Spikes are long cylindrical, and brown; female inflorescence and male inflorescence are separate, male inflorescence grows at the upper part, 20~30 cm long, female inflorescence grows at the lower part, 9~28 cm long, has phyllary (leafy bract), caducous; Male flowers have 2~3 stamens, basal hairs are longer than anthers, the front tip is single, bifurcated or trifurcated, pollen granules (pollen grains) are single; Female flower has bracteoles (bractlets), spatulate, shorter than stigma, fuzz is caducous, about equal length as bracteoles, stigma is linear (filate) or linear-oblong.

 Fruit ears are 10~15 mm in diameter, nut fruit (nutlet) is fine and small, unfluted (grooveless), is not cracked, and epicarp (exocarp) is not separated. Its flowering period is from June to July, the fruiting period is from July to August.

 plants of Typha angustifolia L. with several brownish spikes grow in lake Ecological Environment: Typha angustifolia L grows in shallow water. It is distributed in the northern northwest, east areas, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the Zhujiang river area, and other areas of China.

 Growth characteristics: The plant Typha angustifolia prefers a warm and moist climate, and humid environment. It is appropriate to choose a sunny, fertile shore of a pond or shallow water for cultivation.

 yellowish powder of Cat-tail Pollen Characters of herbs: The herb is in a yellow fine powder state, which is light and easy to fly. When it is twisted by hand, it has a sense of lubrication, it is easy to attach to fingers, and the herb powder floats on the water surface when it is put into water. The herb is odorless and has a mild taste. The herb of a better grade is canary-yellow (bright yellow), strong sense of lubrication, and is without impurities.

 Pharmacological actions: ①.inhibitory effect on the process of coagulation and anti-platelet aggregation; ②.lowering blood pressure, lowering blood lipid, and other vascular effects; ③.anti-inflammation; ④.choleretic effect; ⑤.bacteriostasic activity, etc.

 Medicinal efficacy: Hemostasis (stanch bleeding), dissipate stasis, treating stranguria, prompt diuresis. It is indicated for hematemesis (spitting blood), hemoptysis (vomiting blood), epistaxis (nose bleeding or bleeding from five aperture or subcutaneous tissue), hemafecia (passing blood in stool), uterine bleeding, traumatic bleeding, aching pain in the heart and abdomen, epigastric stabbing pain, amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea, dysmenorrhea (abdominal pain after menstruation), morbid leukorrhea, bloody stranguria with difficulty and pain (stranguria complicated by hematuria, with pain and difficulty in urination), postpartum pain of stagnation and stasis, double tongue (sublingual swollen tongue, inflammation of the sublingual soft tissue), canker (oral ulcer), injury and swelling pain from falling, wet and itchy of the vulvae, etc.

 Administration of Pollen Typhae (Pú Huánɡ): 
 
Reference: Administration Guide of Pollen Typhae (Pú Huánɡ)
TCM Books: ①.Internally: 5~9 grams, wrapped to decoct. Externally:proper amount, apply stick at affected area; ②.Internally: water decoction, 1.5~8 qian (about 4.5~24 grams), or prepare to pill, powder. Externally:prepare to ground herb powder and sprinkle, or apply stick; ③.Internally:water decoction, 5~10 grams, wrapped to decoct, or prepared to pill, powder. Externally:proper amount, prepare to ground herb powder and sprinkle, or apply stick. Better use raw herb for dissipating stasis and relieving pain, better use fried prepared herb for hemostasis, better use raw and fried herb half-and-half for blood stasis and bleeding.
 Contraindications, Precautions and Adverse Reactions:the herb Pollen Typhae should be used cautiously during pregnaancy. The herb should not be used rawly during pregnancy.

(2).Typha orientalis Presl.


 fruiting plants of Typha orientalis Presl with brownish spikes grow in a lake Botanical description: Typha orientalis Presl is commonly known as Dōng Fāng Xiāng Pú (means typha from the Orient), a perennial hydrophyte (water plant) or torfaceous plant. Its terrestrial stems are stout, gradually turn attenuate upward, 1.3~2 meters high. Its differences from Typha angustifolia are: leaves are strip-shaped, 40~70 cm long, 4~9 mm wide, or 5~10 mm wide, smooth and glabrous, the upper part is flat, the lower ventral surface is slightly concave, the back surface is gradually protuberant and convex, the cross-section is semicircle (semicircular), cell cavity is big, sponginess; the base is sheathed (sheath-like), and amplexicaul (stem-clasping).

 Spikes are terete (cylindrical), male inflorescence and female inflorescence connect; Male inflorescence grows at the upper part, 3~5 cm long, or up to 9 cm long, and inflorescence axis has white curly pilose, there are 1~3 leafy bracts from base upward, fall off after flowering, male flower has 2~4 stamens, usually 3 stamens, anther is about 3 mm long, 2-loculed, strip-shaped, pollen granules (pollen grains) are single, filaments are very short, base connate to short stalk; Female inflorescence grows at lower part, 6~15 cm long, or up to 15 cm long, has 1 leafy bract at the base, falls off after flowering, female flowers are ebracteolate, has many basal white long hairs, hairs are nearly equal length as stigma, stigma is spatulate, sterile pistil is clavate. The stigma of fertile female flower is spatulate, curved, about 0.5-0.8 mm long, style is 1.2-2 mm long, ovary is fusiform (spindle-shaped) to lanceolate, podogynium (gynophore) is thin and weak, about 2.5 mm long; the ovary of sterile female flower is about 1.2 mm long, subconical, front tip is circular, sterile style is persistent; white filaments are usually solitary.

 a plant of Typha orientalis Presl with a brownish spike and green leaves The nutlet (nucule) has a longitudinal groove, elliptical shape to oblong oval, epicarp has long brown spots. Seeds are brown, slightly curved. Its flowering period and fruiting period are from May to August.

 Ecological Environment: The plant grows at the waterside or in a marsh (swampland), riversides, lakes, ditches, and slow flow zone of rivers. It is mainly distributed in the northern, eastern, and northwest areas, the Zhujiang river area, and the southwest areas of China.

(3).Typha latifolia L.


 fruiting plants of Typha latifolia with two spikes grow in a lake Botanical description: Typha latifolia L is commonly known as Kuān Yè Xiāng Pú (means broad-leaf typha), a perennial hydrophyte (water plant). Its differences from Typha angustifolia are:rhizome is creamy yellow (milky yellow), tip is white; the leaves are broadly linear, about 45~95 cm long, or 1 meter long, 10~15 mm wide, glabrous, bright and long, the upper part is flat, gradually protuberant at part lower than the middle on the under surface, the apex is long pointed, the base is sheathed (sheath-like), amplexicaular (stem-clasping).

 Spikes are terete (cylindrical), male inflorescence and female inflorescence tightly connect; male inflorescence is at above, about 8~15 cm, thicker than female inflorescence, inflorescence axis is covered with ash gray curly pilose, has 1~3 leafy bracts, caducous; female inflorescence is about 10 cm long, about 2 cm in diameter, developed after flowering, with 2~3 leafy bracts, caducous. Male flowers have 3~4 stamens, and pollen granules (pollen grains) are tetrads, anther is oblong, about 3 mm long, filaments are shorter than the anther, the base connate and form a short stalk; the base of the female flower is ebracteolate, and has many basal white long hairs. The ovary of a fertile male flower is lanceolate, about 1 mm long, podogynium (gynophore) is about 4 mm long, style is 2.5~3 mm long, stigma is lanceolate, 1~1.2 mm long; the ovary of a sterile female flower is obconical, podogynium (gynophore) is stout, unequal length, white threadlike hairs are conspicuously shorter than the style.

 a fruiting plant of Typha latifolia with a brownish spike grow in lake The fruit ears are thick, nutlets (nucules) are fine and small, 1~1.2 mm long, lanceolate, often crack in water, epicarp (exocarp) is separated, brown epicarp usually is eguttulate (fleckless). Seeds are brown, elliptic, not up to 1 mm long. Its flowering period and fruiting period are from May to August.

 Ecological Environment: The plant grows on the banks of rivers, in ponds and marshes, lakes, ditches, stretch of tranquil flow shallow water of rivers, and in shallow water beaches in desert areas. It is mainly distributed in northern, southwest, and northwest areas, the middle reaches of the Yellow River, and other areas of China. The plant is also distributed in northern Asia, Pakistan, other areas of Asia, Europe, America, and Oceania.

(4).Typha angustata Bory et Chaub.


 plants of Typha angustata Bory et Chaub grow in a cluster Botanical description: Typha angustata Bory et Chaub is commonly known as Cháng Bāo Xiāng Pú, a perennial hydrophyte (water plant) or torfaceous plant. Its features distinguished from the above species are: the rhizome is stout, creamy yellow (milky yellow), the tip is white; leaves are strip-shaped, 0.4~1.5 meters long, 6~15 mm wide, the upper part is flat, gradually protuberant at part lower than the middle on the under surface, the base is sheathed (sheath-like), leaf sheath is long, amplexicaul (stem-clasping).

 Spikes are terete (cylindrical), and stout, male inflorescence and female inflorescence are up to 50 cm long, female inflorescence and male inflorescence are separated; Male inflorescence is above, 20~30 cm long, inflorescence axis is covered with curly pilose, has 1~2 leafy bracts, about 32 cm long, about 8 mm wide, caducous; male flowers have 2 or 3 stamens, hairs are longer than anthers, anther is oblong, 1.2-1.5 mm long, the lower part of filaments connate to short stalk, pollen granules (pollen grains) are solitary. Female inflorescence is below, shorter than male inflorescence, 4.7-23 cm long, a leafy bract is wider than leaf, caducous; the female flower has bracteoles, bracteoles of female flower are nearly equal length as stigma, stigma is striped oblong, bracteoles and stigma are both longer than hairs. The ovary of a fertile female flower is lanceolate, about 1 mm long, podogynium (gynophore) is 3-6 mm long, style is 0.5~1.5 mm long, stigma is broadly linear or lanceolate, 1~1.2 mm long, wider than style; the ovary of a sterile female flower is nearly obconical, numerous white threadlike hairs, grow on the base of podogynium, shorter than stigma.

 plants of Typha angustata Bory et Chaub. grow in a cluster Nutlets (nucules) are unfluted (grooveless), fusiform (spindle-shaped), about 1.2 mm long, longitudinal split, and epicarp has long brown spots. Seeds are tawny (yellow brown), about 1 mm long. Its flowering period and fruiting period are from June to August.

 Ecological Environment: The plant grows in marshes, shallow water zone of ponds, lakes, rivers, at watersides, and is often seen in channel and ditches. It is distributed in the northern, eastern, and northwest areas, and other areas of China. This species is also distributed in other areas of Asia.
 
Pollen Typhae Carbonisatum (Carbonized Cat-tail Pollen).

 dried herb powder of Pollen Typhae Carbonisatum Brief Introduction: The herb Pollen Typhae Carbonisatum is used as a stasis-removing hemostatic.

 ✵The herb Pollen Typhae Carbonisatum is the carbonized residue of the Pollen Typhae by traditional preparation. The botanical origin of it is the same as the herb Pollen Typhae, it was introduced in the last entry "Pollen Typhae (Cat-tail Pollen)".
 

 
  

 

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References:
  • 1.Introduction of Pu Huang:Cat-tail Pollen or Pollen Typhae.

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