Hongshupi, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the bark or root bark of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam., a plant of the Mangrovaceae family. It is distributed along the coasts of Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, and other regions. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, as well as stopping diarrhea and hemorrhage. It is commonly used for sore throat, abscesses, heat-toxin-induced diarrhea and dysentery, and various types of bleeding.
Red Tree Bark
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Hongshupi, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the bark or root bark of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam., a plant of the Mangrovaceae family. It is distributed along the coasts of Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, and other regions. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, as well as stopping diarrhea and hemorrhage. It is commonly used for sore throat, abscesses, heat-toxin-induced diarrhea and dysentery, and various types of bleeding.
Chinese Name : 红树皮
Latin Name : Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (L.) Lam.
Aliases : Wuliqiao, Wujiaoli
Authentic Producing Area : Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Bitter and slightly astringent in taste; cold in nature; enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Clears heat and detoxifies; stops diarrhea and hemorrhage.
Indications
Sore throat, abscesses, heat-toxin-induced diarrhea and dysentery, and various types of bleeding.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decoct 6–15 g. External use: Use an appropriate amount; decoct and use as a wash; or pound the fresh plant and apply as a poultice.
Precautions
Not yet established.
Relevant Discussions
*Flora of Medicinal Plants of Taiwan*: “The bark acts as an astringent, treating diarrhea and, occasionally, malaria. The root bark stops bleeding and treats pharyngitis.”
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
After 10–15 years of cultivation, harvest the bark in summer and fall, then sun-dry it. In fall, dig up the roots, wash off the soil, peel off the root bark, and sun-dry it.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Mangrove (Rhizophora) species.
Morphological Characteristics
Mu Lan, also known as Red Tree, Changgu, Baoluo Jianding, Tie Lan, Daitou Lan, Jizhua Lang, Jianding, Jia Ding, and Jizhua Lan. A shrub or tree, often with knee-like aerial roots protruding above the water surface.Leaves are simple and opposite; petioles are 2.5–4.5 cm long; stipules are early deciduous; leaves are leathery, elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 7–14 cm long and 3–5.5 cm wide, with a slightly acuminate apex, a cuneate base, and entire margins that curl backward when dry.Flowers are solitary, 3–3.5 cm long; the pedicel is curved downward, 8–20 mm long; the calyx tube is nearly bell-shaped, dark yellowish-red; there are 11–13 calyx lobes, most commonly 12, which are linear and approximately as long as the calyx tube;The corolla is pale reddish-white, with the same number of lobes as the calyx but shorter; it is deeply bifid, densely covered with silky hairs at the base and nearly glabrous above, with one spiny hair between the fissures and 2–4 spiny hairs at the tips of the lobes; the number of stamens is double that of the petals, and they are slightly shorter than the petals; the ovary is semi-inferior, with 2–4 locules.The fruit is enclosed within and fused to the calyx tube; it is unilocular, and the calyx tube is longer than the lobes; there is a single seed that germinates before the fruit detaches from the parent tree; the hypocotyl is spindle-shaped, slightly angular, and 15–25 cm long. Flowering and fruiting occur almost year-round.
Distribution Area
Distributed along the coast in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, and other regions.
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Terminology Proofreading: [Cheng Bo] | August 2, 2026 Reviewed by: [Wang Zhongxiang, Associate Chief TCM Physician (China)] | August 2, 2026
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