White-backed Poplar is the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It consists of the leaves of *Populus argentea* (silver poplar), a plant in the Salicaceae family. It is distributed in Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, and Guangxi, among other regions. It has the effects of expelling phlegm, reducing inflammation, relieving wheezing, and suppressing coughs. It is primarily used to treat chronic bronchitis, coughs, and wheezing.
White-backed Poplar
White-backed Poplar is the name of a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It consists of the leaves of *Populus argentea* (silver poplar), a plant in the Salicaceae family. It is distributed in Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, and Guangxi, among other regions. It has the effects of expelling phlegm, reducing inflammation, relieving wheezing, and suppressing coughs. It is primarily used to treat chronic bronchitis, coughs, and wheezing.
Chinese Name : 白背杨
Aliases : White-backed Wood Ear, White-backed Silk, Water Twister, White Cloth Thorn
Authentic Producing Area : Northeast, North, and Northwest China, as well as Guangxi
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Bitter in taste, warm in nature; enters the Lung Meridian
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Resolves phlegm, reduces inflammation, relieves wheezing, and suppresses cough.
Indications
Chronic bronchitis, cough, and wheezing.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decoct as a soup, 3–9 g.
Precautions
Not yet determined.
Chemical Constituents
The leaves and bark contain small amounts of glycosides. The roots contain 7-O-methyl nerol.
Applications
Clinical Applications
Treatment of chronic bronchitis: A total of 1,115 cases were observed across different seasons using various dosage forms made from silver poplar leaves; the average effective rate was approximately 88%, with a marked improvement rate of about 52%. It is effective for cough, phlegm, and wheezing, though its bronchodilatory effect is slightly weaker; the onset of action typically occurs 3–5 days after administration. It is most effective for the “deficiency-cold” pattern, followed by the “lung dryness” pattern, and least effective for the “phlegm-heat” pattern.Longer treatment courses yield higher efficacy. The shorter the duration of the illness, the better the therapeutic effect. Dosage Forms and Administration: (1) 1:2 syrup: 10 mL three times daily. (2) Injection: 1 mL (containing 2 g of crude drug) administered intramuscularly once daily. (3) Extract pills: 10 pills three times daily (total daily dose equivalent to 25 g of crude drug);In some cases, the injectable formulation was used concurrently or supplemented with Bai Rui Cao (5 qian per dose, steeped in hot water and divided into 3 doses). Preliminary observations indicate no significant difference in efficacy among the various dosage forms. Side Effects: No serious side effects were observed; only a small number of patients experienced reactions such as gastric discomfort, dry mouth, diarrhea, or mild facial edema, with isolated cases of rash. These reactions were generally mild and did not interfere with treatment.
Processing & Preparation
Crude Drug Identification
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Silver poplar (Populus argentea), a member of the Salicaceae family.
Morphological Characteristics
A tree reaching 10–35 meters in height. Young branches are densely covered with white downy hairs; winter buds are conical, with white downy hairs or fine soft hairs only along the margins.Simple, alternate leaves; the leaf shape differs markedly between long and short branches: leaves on long branches are broadly ovate or triangular-ovate, 5–12 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, with an acute apex, a rounded or nearly cordate base, and 3–5 palmate-lobed or entire, with blunt teeth; when young, both surfaces are densely covered with white downy hairs, but later the hairs on the upper surface fall off while those on the lower surface remain;Leaves on short branches are smaller, ovate or elliptic-ovate; petioles are 2–5 cm long and bear white tomentum. Male inflorescences are 3–7 cm long; bracts are ciliate; stamens number 6–10; female inflorescences are 2–4 cm long; stigmas are 2, 2-lobed, and red. The fruit is a capsule, glabrous.
Distribution Area
Distributed in Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, and Guangxi, among other regions.