Niuwang Feijincao, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the whole plant, including the roots, of Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. var. australis Hemsl. (family Lamiaceae). It is distributed in southwestern China, as well as in Shaanxi, Gansu, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, and Tibet. It has the effects of dispelling wind and relieving cough, promoting blood circulation and unblocking meridians, and detoxifying and reducing swelling.It is primarily used to treat colds, coughs, rheumatic pain, weakness in the lower back and knees, bruises and hematomas from falls or blows, fractures, and abscesses and toxic swellings.
Niuwang Feijincao
Niuwang Feijincao, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to the whole plant, including the roots, of Phlomis umbrosa Turcz. var. australis Hemsl. (family Lamiaceae). It is distributed in southwestern China, as well as in Shaanxi, Gansu, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, and Tibet. It has the effects of dispelling wind and relieving cough, promoting blood circulation and unblocking meridians, and detoxifying and reducing swelling.It is primarily used to treat colds, coughs, rheumatic pain, weakness in the lower back and knees, bruises and hematomas from falls or blows, fractures, and abscesses and toxic swellings.
Chinese Name : 牛王肺筋草
Aliases : Xishu Grass, Mountain Licorice, Da Hei Li Fei Powder, Earth Scrophularia, Xixian Grass, White Cimicifuga, Lantern-shaped Gentiana
Authentic Producing Area : Hubei, Hunan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Anhui, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Slightly bitter and pungent in taste; neutral in nature
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Dispels wind and relieves cough, promotes blood circulation and unblocks meridians, detoxifies and reduces swelling.
Indications
Mainly used to treat colds, coughs, rheumatic pain, weakness in the lower back and knees, bruises and swelling from falls or blows, fractures, and abscesses and toxic swellings.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Decoct 6–12 g in water. 2. External use: Apply an appropriate amount after pounding into a paste.
Precautions
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.
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For treating liver and kidney deficiency with soreness and pain in the lower back and knees: 12 g each of Perilla frutescens var. rugosa (Southern Perilla), Mulberry mistletoe, Eucommia, Dogspine, and Achyranthes. Decoct in water and take orally.
2. For treating fractures and tendon injuries: 12 g each of Perilla frutescens var. rugosa (Southern Perilla), Angelica sinensis, and Dipsacus asper, and 3 g of Carthamus tinctorius. Decoct in water and take orally. (Formulas 1–2 are from *Medicinal Herbs of Wanxian*)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest in summer or fall; wash thoroughly; use fresh or sun-dry.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
The stem is quadrangular with shallow grooves and sparsely covered with short, stiff downward-pointing hairs. The leaves are nearly circular with long petioles and have rounded, serrated margins. Both the stem and leaves are sparsely covered with stellate hairs. It has a faintly fragrant odor and a slightly astringent taste.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Southern rough sage (a plant of the Lamiaceae family).
Morphological Characteristics
A perennial herb reaching up to 150 cm in height. The root is thickened, with fleshy fibrous roots. The stem is highly branched, quadrangular, with shallow grooves, sparsely covered with short, stiff, downward-pointing hairs, and often purplish-red in color. Leaves are opposite; long-petiolate; the leaf blades are thin, nearly round, round-ovate to ovate-oblong, with rounded-toothed serrations along the margins, and the terminal teeth are sometimes much longer.Whorled inflorescences, numerous, borne on the main stem and branches; bracts herbaceous, linear-lanceolate, slightly shorter than the calyx; calyx tubular, about 10 mm long, externally covered with stellate pubescence, with small spiny tips at the teeth, margins tufted with hairs;Corolla usually pink, lower lip often with red spots; corolla lobe bilabiate, upper lip bearded on the inner surface, lower lip glabrous on the inner surface, 3-lobed, with the middle lobe larger. Stamens 4, included; filaments glabrous, without appendages. Nutlets glabrous. Flowering period: June–September; fruiting period: August–September.
Distribution Area
Distributed in Southwest China, as well as Shaanxi, Gansu, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, and Tibet.