Qingpi is a commonly used herb for regulating qi. It consists of the dried peel of young or unripe fruits of Citrus reticulata Blanco (a species of the genus Citrus in the Rutaceae family) and its cultivated varieties. It has the effects of soothing the liver, dispelling stagnant qi, resolving food stagnation, and alleviating digestive stagnation. It is commonly used to treat distending pain in the chest and flanks, hernia pain, mastalgia, mastitis, food stagnation with qi stagnation, and epigastric and abdominal distension and pain.
Qingpi
Qingpi is a commonly used herb for regulating qi. It consists of the dried peel of young or unripe fruits of Citrus reticulata Blanco (a species of the genus Citrus in the Rutaceae family) and its cultivated varieties. It has the effects of soothing the liver, dispelling stagnant qi, resolving food stagnation, and alleviating digestive stagnation. It is commonly used to treat distending pain in the chest and flanks, hernia pain, mastalgia, mastitis, food stagnation with qi stagnation, and epigastric and abdominal distension and pain.
Chinese Name : 青皮
Latin Name : Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride
Aliases : Green Tangerine Peel, Green Mandarin Peel
Authentic Producing Area : Mainly produced in Fujian and Zhejiang
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Taste: bitter, pungent; Nature: warm; Enters the Liver, Gallbladder, and Stomach meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Regulates the liver and dispels stagnant qi; eliminates food stagnation and resolves stagnation.
Indications
Mainly used to treat distending pain in the chest and flanks, hernia pain, mastalgia, mastitis, food stagnation and qi stagnation, and epigastric and abdominal distension and pain.
Usage and Dosage
Decoct and take 3–10 g.
Precautions
During treatment, avoid consuming spicy, greasy, raw, cold, or other irritating foods to prevent affecting spleen and stomach function and reducing the drug’s efficacy; at the same time, refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol, and maintain a light diet.
Chemical Constituents
Mainly contains essential oils: (R)-limonene, linalool, umbelliferone, etc.; flavonoids: naringin, etc.
Pharmacological Actions
This product helps regulate gastrointestinal motility, protect the liver and promote bile secretion, and protect against ischemic brain injury.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Treats qi stagnation, aids digestion, breaks up accumulations and stagnation, and relieves diaphragmatic qi.”
2. *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “Treats counterflow of qi in the chest and diaphragm, chest pain, lower abdominal hernia pain, reduces breast swelling, regulates the liver and gallbladder, and drains lung qi.” “Green tangerine peel, with its green color and pungent aroma, has a bitter and pungent taste. It is treated with vinegar—as the saying goes, ‘When the liver seeks to disperse, urgently consume pungent substances to disperse it, use sourness to drain it, and use bitterness to descend it.’”
3. *Hui Yan of Materia Medica*: “Green tangerine peel is a medicine that dispels stagnant qi and breaks up hardened accumulations… This formula uses bitterness to drain, pungency to disperse, and its aromatic properties to ward off pathogenic factors and dispel miasma, while promoting the circulation of food and fluids—truly a specialized remedy.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. To treat liver qi stagnation with distending pain in the chest and flanks, it is often combined with Bupleurum, Curcuma, and Cyperus.
2. To treat breast distension, pain, or lumps, it is often combined with Bupleurum, Zhejiang Fritillary Bulb, and Orange Leaf.
3. To treat mastitis with swelling and pain, it is often combined with Trichosanthes Rind, Honeysuckle, and Dandelion.
4.To treat pain from cold hernia, it is often used in combination with Wuyao, Xiaohuixiang, and Muxiang, as in the Tiantai Wuyao Powder (*Medical Inventions*).
5. To treat epigastric and abdominal distension and pain, it can be combined with Dafupi, as in the Qingpi Powder (*Causes, Symptoms, Pulse, and Treatment*); for cold pain in the epigastrium and abdomen, it can be combined with Guizhi and Chenpi, as in the Sanpi Decoction (*Compilation of Medical Formulas*).
6. To treat food stagnation and qi stagnation with epigastric and abdominal distension and pain, it is often used in combination with Hawthorn (Shanzha), Shenqu, and Barley Malt (Maiya), as in the Qingpi Pills (from *Shen’s Book on Valuing Life*); for severe qi stagnation, it may be combined with Wood Fragrance (Muxiang), Areca Nut (Binlang), or Bitter Orange (Zhishi) and Rhubarb (Da Huang).
7. For treating masses and accumulations caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis, as well as chronic malaria-induced masses, it is often used in combination with Sanleng, E Zhu, and Danshen.
Related Compatibility
1. Green Tangerine Peel Combined with Dried Tangerine Peel: Green tangerine peel is bitter, pungent, and intensely drying; it descends and directs energy downward, primarily regulating the qi of the liver and gallbladder, while also eliminating food stagnation and resolving stagnation. Dried tangerine peel is pungent, dispersing, and ascending; it primarily regulates the qi of the spleen and lungs, excelling at promoting qi circulation, strengthening the spleen, drying dampness, and transforming phlegm. When green tangerine peel is combined with dried tangerine peel, it not only harmonizes the liver and spleen but also regulates the spleen and stomach, jointly achieving the effects of soothing the liver, strengthening the spleen, regulating qi, and relieving pain.The combined use of these two herbs is indicated for liver qi stagnation and stomach qi disharmony, manifested as distending pain in the flanks, fullness and oppression in the chest and abdomen, and distending pain in the epigastrium.
2. Qingpi Combined with Chaihu: Qingpi has a pungent and warm nature; its potent energy descends and sinks, breaking up qi stagnation in the Liver Meridian and effectively dispersing stagnation in the Lower Jiao. Chaihu has a rich, fragrant aroma; its light and clear nature ascends, promoting dispersion and regulation, harmonizing Liver qi, and effectively resolving stagnation in the Lower Jiao. When used together, their ascending and descending actions complement each other, allowing qi stagnation to be dispersed, qi blockage to be resolved, and qi knots to be broken up.This combination is suitable for chronic qi stagnation in the Liver Meridian, which may even lead to qi stagnation and blood stasis, presenting with symptoms such as distending or stabbing pain in the chest and flanks that remains localized.
3. Qingpi Combined with Muxiang: Qingpi is bitter, pungent, and warm in nature; its action is vigorous, descending, and dispersing, with the ability to eliminate food stagnation and resolve stagnation; Muxiang is bitter, pungent, and warm, and is particularly effective at resolving qi stagnation in the spleen and stomach.When combined, these two herbs synergistically promote qi circulation, eliminate food stagnation, and relieve pain. This formula is used to treat food stagnation and qi stagnation, as well as epigastric and abdominal distension and pain.
4. Qingpi Combined with Wuyao: Qingpi is pungent and dispersing, bitter and draining, and warm and unblocking; it soothes the liver, breaks up qi stagnation, and eliminates food stagnation. Wuyao is pungent and warm; it promotes qi circulation, relieves pain, warms the kidneys, and dispels cold. When combined, these two herbs enhance the ability to soothe the liver, promote qi circulation, dispel cold, and relieve pain.This combination is suitable for cold-induced qi stagnation and hernia pain.
5. Qingpi combined with Huanglian: Qingpi is bitter and warm, capable of regulating qi and resolving food stagnation; Huanglian is bitter and cold, capable of clearing heat and drying dampness, as well as cooling the blood and stopping dysentery. When combined, these two herbs work together to clear heat, stop dysentery, regulate qi, and resolve food stagnation. This formula is used to treat persistent febrile dysentery in children that has evolved into bloody dysentery due to uncontrolled blood flow.
6. Qingpi Combined with Gansui: Qingpi is bitter, pungent, and warm; it can soothe the liver, disperse stagnant qi, eliminate food stagnation, and resolve stagnation. Gansui is sweet and cold; it can drain water, expel fluid retention, reduce swelling, and disperse nodules. When used together, these two herbs move qi to expel water, jointly achieving the effect of draining water and reducing swelling. This combination is used to treat children with spleen-stomach deficiency that has, over time, damaged the kidneys, leading to water retention in the skin and muscles and generalized edema due to deficiency.
Medicinal Identification
Qingpi, Vinegar-Processed Qingpi, and Wheat Bran-Fried Qingpi: These three herbs all derive from the same plant but exhibit distinct therapeutic effects due to differences in their preparation methods.Qingpi excels at regulating qi and eliminating food stagnation; clinically, it is often used for food stagnation and masses or lumps caused by stagnation. Vinegar-processed Qingpi soothes the liver and relieves pain, with a strong ability to eliminate food stagnation and resolve stagnation; it is often used for distending pain in the flanks, breast distension and pain, and hernia pain. Wheat-bran-fried Qingpi is highly effective at resolving food stagnation and harmonizing the middle jiao; it is often used for food stagnation.
Related Medicines
Dan Ning Tablets, Zhonghua Ganling Granules, Jin Shao Li Yan Pills (Capsules), Ru Ji Ling Granules, Huanglian Yanggan Pills.
Related Prescriptions
Hai Zao Yu Hu Decoction (*Authentic Treatise on Surgery*), Gua Lou Niu Bang Decoction (*Golden Mirror of Medical Orthodoxy*), Dian Kuang Meng Xing Decoction (*Corrections to Medical Literature*), Ge Hua Jie Cheng Decoction (*Treatise on Distinguishing Confusions in Internal and External Injuries*), Qing Pi Decoction (*Formulas for Saving Lives*).
Medicinal Diet Therapy
A medicinal dish associated with Qingpi is Qingpi and White Duck Soup.
1. Efficacy: Soothes the liver and regulates qi; suitable for patients with acute viral hepatitis presenting with liver depression and qi stagnation, dull pain under the ribs, and chest tightness.
2. Ingredients: 5 grams each of Qingpi and Chenpi; 9 grams each of Yujin, processed Xiangfu, and Bai Shao; 500 grams of white duck meat; 5 grams each of ginger, scallions, and salt.
3. Preparation: Place the Qingpi, Chenpi, Curcuma, processed Cyperus, and White Peony Root into a muslin bag and tie the opening tightly. Lightly crush the ginger and cut the scallions into sections. Wash the duck meat, cut it into 4-centimeter squares, and place it in a stew pot. Add 800 milliliters of water, along with the herb bag, ginger, and scallions. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 50 minutes until done.
4. Usage: Take twice daily; consume 50 grams of duck meat and 200 milliliters of broth each time.
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with Chinese herbal medicine should first consult a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital to receive a prescription following a professional TCM differential diagnosis.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Collect young fruits that have fallen naturally between May and June, dry them in the sun; these are known as “Ge Qingpi.” Harvest unripe fruits between July and August, make a vertical incision on the peel to divide it into four sections down to the base, remove all pulp, and dry them in the sun; these are commonly known as “Sihua Qingpi.”
Processing Methods
1. Qingpi: Take the raw herb, remove impurities, wash thoroughly, moisten, cut into thick slices or strips, and sun-dry.
2. Vinegar-Treated Qingpi: Take Qingpi strips or slices, mix thoroughly with vinegar, let stand until thoroughly moistened, place in a pan, heat over low heat, stir-fry until dry, then remove and let cool. Use 20 kg of vinegar for every 100 kg of Qingpi strips or slices.
3. Wheat Bran-Roasted Green Peel: Sprinkle wheat bran into a hot pan and heat over medium heat. When smoke begins to rise, add the green peel strips or slices and stir-fry rapidly until they turn yellow. Remove, sift out the wheat bran, and let cool. Use 10 kg of wheat bran for every 100 kg of green peel strips or slices.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container, seal tightly, and keep in a cool, dry place.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
1. Four-lobed Green Peel: The fruit peel is split into four lobes, which are oblong in shape, 4–6 cm long, and 0.1–0.2 cm thick. The outer surface is gray-green or black-green, densely covered with numerous oil glands; the inner surface is off-white or yellowish-white, rough, with small yellowish-white or yellowish-brown veins. The texture is slightly hard and breaks easily; the outer edge of the fracture surface has 1–2 rows of oil glands.It has a fragrant aroma and a bitter, pungent taste.
2. Individual Green Peel: Subspherical in shape, with a diameter of 0.5–2 cm. The surface is gray-green or black-green, slightly rough, with fine, densely arranged, sunken oil glands; the apex has a slightly protruding columnar base, and the base has a circular scar from the fruit stalk.Hard in texture; the cross-section of the pericarp is yellowish-white or pale yellowish-brown, 0.1–0.2 cm thick, with 1–2 rows of oil glands along the outer edge. The pulp consists of 8–10 segments, pale brown in color, with a fresh, fragrant aroma and a sour, bitter, and pungent taste.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Qingpi: Appears as thick, round-shaped slices or irregular strands; the surface is gray-green or blackish-green, densely covered with numerous oil cells; the cross-section is yellowish-white or pale yellowish-brown, and the 8–10 segments of the pulp sacs, which are pale brown, are sometimes visible. It has a fragrant aroma and a bitter, pungent taste.
2. Vinegar-processed Qingpi: Resembles Qingpi slices or strands, with a darker color; has a slight vinegar-like aroma; tastes bitter and pungent.
3. Bran-processed Qingpi: The surface color is darker.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
A plant of the genus Citrus in the family Rutaceae, specifically the common tangerine and its cultivated varieties.
Morphological Characteristics
An evergreen small tree or shrub, 3–4 m tall. Branches are slender and often thorny.Leaves are alternate; petioles are 0.5–1.5 cm long, with narrow wings and a joint at the apex; leaf blades are lanceolate or elliptical, 4–11 cm long and 1.5–4 cm wide, with a gradually tapering, slightly notched apex, a wedge-shaped base, entire or wavy margins with indistinct blunt teeth, and translucent oil dots.Flowers are solitary or clustered in groups of several at branch tips or in leaf axils; the calyx is cup-shaped and 5-lobed; there are 5 petals, white or tinged with pale red, curling upward when open; there are 15–30 stamens of varying lengths, with filaments often fused in groups of 3–5;there is a single pistil with a round ovary and a capitate stigma. The citrus fruit is nearly round or oblate, 4–7 cm in diameter; the peel is thin and wide, easily peeled; there are 7–12 segments, with soft, juicy vesicles. The seeds are ovate, white, pointed at one end, ranging from a few to several dozen or absent. Flowering occurs from March to April, and fruiting from October to December.
Distribution Area
It is cultivated in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Taiwan.
Growth Habits
It thrives in a hot and humid subtropical climate, is not cold-hardy, and has moderate cold tolerance. The effective temperature for budbreak is 12.5°C; the optimal growth temperature is 23–27°C; growth ceases at temperatures as high as 37°C; and temperatures below –5°C cause frost damage.Growing regions should have an annual average temperature above 15°C, annual accumulated temperature above 3,000°C, and annual rainfall typically between 1,000 and 2,000 mm. Soil moisture should be maintained at 60%–80% of its maximum water-holding capacity, and a relative humidity of 75% is ideal.Light intensity required for normal growth is 8,500–12,000 lx; in summer, it can reach 35,000 lx. It is best cultivated in sandy loam with ample sunlight, on high, dry terrain, with deep soil layers and good aeration.
Propagation Methods
Propagation is by seed or grafting, with grafting being the primary method.
Cultivation Techniques
Grafting: Rootstocks should be selected from varieties that grow rapidly, have well-developed root systems, are highly stress-tolerant, exhibit strong compatibility with the scion, and are cold-hardy. Suitable options include Trifoliate Orange, Jutou Orange, Red Lemon, Sour Tangerine, Ponkan, Sweet Orange, Sour Pomelo, and Yichang Orange.Harvest fully ripe fruits, cut them open, wash the seeds, and store them in layers of moist sand from December through January–March of the following year. Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water (35–40°C) for 1 hour,then soak them for 10 minutes in a 1% copper sulfate solution, a 300-fold formaldehyde solution, or a 0.1% potassium permanganate solution. Rinse thoroughly with cold water, air-dry, and sow; alternatively, seeds may be disinfected in 55–56°C warm water for 50 minutes before sowing. Germination of pre-treated seeds occurs in about 7 days, while untreated seeds take approximately one month to germinate.For pre-germination, soak the seeds in 35–40°C water for 1 hour, then soak them in cold water for half a day. Place them on a reed mat lined with grass, cover with rice straw, and sprinkle with 35–40°C warm water 3–4 times daily. Turn the seeds every 1–2 days; sow once the radicle appears after 5–9 days.Sow seeds in the seedbed using a combination of narrow and wide rows: dig furrows 17–20 cm apart for narrow rows and 50–60 cm apart for wide rows. First, apply a layer of well-rotted human manure to the furrows, then evenly scatter the seeds over it. Cover the seeds with fertilized soil to a depth of 1.5–2 cm, and cover with straw. In winter, cover with plastic film.Once seedlings emerge and develop 2–3 true leaves, select vigorous seedlings in May or September–October for transplanting to serve as two-year rootstocks. The remaining seedlings can be used as three-year rootstocks. Plant them by grade in narrow rows (15–20 cm) and wide rows (60–70 cm), with a plant spacing of 10–15 cm to facilitate post-grafting management.When transplanting rootstocks, ensure the roots are spread out and in close contact with the soil, and cover the soil up to the root collar. After planting, regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds, and remove any suckers at the base. Once new shoots emerge, pinch them back.For scions, select mature fruit trees of superior varieties that are stable and high-yielding, with vigorous growth and free of pests and diseases. Cut branches with plump buds from the middle to upper parts of the outer crown. For spring grafting, scions can be sand-stored before bud break; for summer grafting, they can be used immediately after harvesting.Before grafting, soak the scions in a (1000–1500) × 10⁻⁶ solution of tetracycline hydrochloride for 2 hours, then rinse thoroughly with water to prevent disease. Grafting method: One month before grafting, remove any sprouting branches on the rootstock growing 15 cm or less above the ground and pinch back the tips. For spring grafting, use the cleft grafting method, typically performed from late February to mid-April.Use the bud grafting method in summer (August–September). Inspect the grafted seedlings 15–20 days after grafting; if the bud is fresh, the graft union has healed, and the petiole detaches easily, the graft has taken; otherwise, re-graft promptly.Once the graft has taken, remove the binding material and eliminate suckers on the rootstock. Prune the rootstock 0.5 cm above the bud graft, ensuring the side with the bud eye is slightly higher and the opposite side slightly lower. After new shoots emerge from the main branch, install supports to prevent the sapling from bending. At the same time, pinch back the tips, remove excess buds, and shape the tree, while also applying fertilizer and spraying pesticides to prevent pest and disease damage.It takes three years from the time the rootstock is prepared until the grafted seedlings are ready for nursery release. Planting should be done in mid-February to mid-March or October to November. When digging up the grafted seedlings, ensure they are removed with a soil ball attached. Smooth the cut surfaces of the taproot and large lateral roots, prune out weak, diseased, or insect-infested branches, and dip the roots in mud slurry. Dig planting holes according to a row and plant spacing of 3 m × 5 m, then plant the seedlings.
Pest and Disease Control
1. Canker: Spray Bordeaux mixture in early spring.
2. Gummosis: This disease occurs in March–April. Select disease-resistant rootstocks and simultaneously control bark beetles and longhorn beetles to eliminate sources of infection. If lesions are detected in early spring, scrape them off and treat the wounds with a mixture of 2,4-D, mercury, and tung oil (0.1 g mercury,100 g of tung oil, mixed with 2,4-D) or a 1:10 potassium permanganate-tung oil mixture to treat the wounds. Alternatively, spray with a 100-fold dilution of 50% Topsin-M or a 100–200-fold dilution of 50% Carbendazim.
3. Scab disease, which primarily occurs on the underside of leaves and causes leaf twisting and deformation, should be treated by spraying with an 800–1,000-fold dilution of 50% Topsin-M after bud break and after flowering.
4. Crown rot, which affects the root collar, can be treated by applying a 1:1:10 Bordeaux mixture.
5. Huanglongming disease is caused by a virus. Control aphids to prevent transmission, and immediately remove any infected plants upon discovery.
6. Citrus psyllids: Spray with products such as Yiweisha during the emergence of new shoots; treat the root zone with furadan to help protect natural enemies of the larvae.
7. Citrus leafminer: Control with cypermethrin, deltamethrin, Yiweshā, Batan, Dimethoate, or imidacloprid when new shoots are no longer than 3 mm or when the infestation rate on new leaves reaches approximately 50%. Other pests include the citrus fruit fly and citrus longhorn beetle.