Nanmu Bark, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the bark of the plant Phoebe zhennan S. Lee et F. N. Wei, belonging to the family Lauraceae. Nanmu Bark is distributed in Shaanxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, and other regions. It has the therapeutic effects of warming the stomach, harmonizing the middle burner, and alleviating counterflow. It is commonly used to treat cholera with vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle cramps; cold stomach with vomiting; and swelling of the feet.
Nanmu Bark
Nanmu Bark, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the bark of the plant Phoebe zhennan S. Lee et F. N. Wei, belonging to the family Lauraceae. Nanmu Bark is distributed in Shaanxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, and other regions. It has the therapeutic effects of warming the stomach, harmonizing the middle burner, and alleviating counterflow. It is commonly used to treat cholera with vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle cramps; cold stomach with vomiting; and swelling of the feet.
Chinese Name : 楠木皮
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : It has a bitter and pungent taste and a warm nature. It enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Warms the stomach, harmonizes the middle burner, and alleviates upward-reversing qi.
Indications
Used for cholera with vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps; cold stomach with vomiting; and swelling of the feet.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decoct 6–15 g. External use: Apply an appropriate amount; decoct in water and use for washing.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Hǎiyào Běncǎo*: “Bitter in taste, warm in nature, non-toxic.”
2. *Hǎiyào Běncǎo*: “Primarily treats cholera with vomiting and diarrhea, vomiting of milk in infants, and warms the stomach to restore vital energy.”
3. *Cǎomù Biànfāng*: “(For treating) swelling of the feet, decoct in water and use for washing.”
Applications
Related Compatibility
1. For treating cholera with muscle cramps: Use Nanmu bark, decoct in water, and use the solution for washing. (*Formulas for Universal Relief*)
2. For treating cold stomach and vomiting: Decoct Nanmu bark into a decoction and drink it. (*Comprehensive Treatise on Pediatric Hygiene and Formulas*: Nanmu Decoction)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
It can be harvested and peeled year-round; wash thoroughly, cut into sections, and sun-dry.
Crude Drug Identification
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
A plant of the Lauraceae family, known as nanmu.
Morphological Characteristics
Nanmu is also known as Yan Nan or Zhen Nan. It is a large tree that can grow to a height of over 30 m. Bud scales are covered with grayish-yellow, appressed long hairs; young branches are usually slender, angular or nearly cylindrical, and covered with grayish-yellow or grayish-brown long or short soft hairs.Leaves are leathery; petioles are slender, 1–2.2 cm long, and hairy; leaf blades are elliptical, rarely lanceolate or oblanceolate, 7–11 cm long and 2.5–4 cm wide, with an acuminate or falcate apex and a cuneate base; the upper surface is glossy and glabrous or pubescent along the lower half of the midvein, while the lower surface is densely covered with short soft hairs, and the veins are covered with long soft hairs.Cymose panicles are widely spreading and hairy; flowers are bisexual; perianth segments number 6, nearly equal in size, 3–3.5 cm long, 2–2.5 cm wide; fertile stamens number 9, about 2 mm long, pubescent; sterile stamens are triangular, stalked, and hairy;The ovary is globose, glabrous or sparsely pubescent only on the upper half and the style, with a disc-shaped stigma. The fruit is elliptical, 1.1–1.4 cm long and 6–7 mm in diameter; the persistent perianth segments are ovate, leathery, closely appressed, and pubescent on both surfaces or with fine pubescence on the outer surface. Flowering occurs from April to May, and fruiting from September to October.
Distribution Area
Distributed in Shaanxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, and other areas.