Zimu Root, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the root of Xylosma congestum (Lour.) Merr., a plant in the family Sapindaceae. It is distributed in areas south of the Qinling Mountains and south of the Yangtze River. It has the effects of detoxifying, promoting the elimination of dampness, dispersing blood stasis, and inducing labor.It is primarily used to treat jaundice, dysentery, edema, hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis, scrofula, swelling and pain from trauma, difficult labor, and retained dead fetus.
Zhuomu Root
Zimu Root, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the root of Xylosma congestum (Lour.) Merr., a plant in the family Sapindaceae. It is distributed in areas south of the Qinling Mountains and south of the Yangtze River. It has the effects of detoxifying, promoting the elimination of dampness, dispersing blood stasis, and inducing labor.It is primarily used to treat jaundice, dysentery, edema, hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis, scrofula, swelling and pain from trauma, difficult labor, and retained dead fetus.
Chinese Name : 柞木根
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Bitter in taste, neutral in nature
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Detoxifies, drains dampness, dispels blood stasis, and induces labor.
Indications
Mainly used to treat jaundice, dysentery, edema, hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis, scrofula, swelling and pain from trauma, difficult labor, and retained dead fetus.
Usage and Dosage
Internal use: Decoct 12–18 g (or 60–120 g of fresh herb); or char until carbonized, grind into powder, and mix with wine.
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.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Compendium of Commonly Used Folk Herbs*: “Removes dampness and regulates the Liver meridian. Treats blood and qi-related pain; opens the birth canal and induces labor.”
2. *Chronicle of Sichuan Chinese Medicinal Herbs* (1960 edition): “Treats edema.”
3. *Anhui Chinese Medicinal Herbs*: “Detoxifies, drains dampness, and stops dysentery.”
4. *Compendium of Chinese Medicinal Herbs*: “Clears heat and drains dampness; dispels blood stasis and stops bleeding; reduces swelling and relieves pain. Primarily used for trauma-induced swelling and pain, fractures, dislocations, and traumatic bleeding.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For dysentery: 90 g of oak root. Decoct in water and drink the decoction. (*Compendium of Hunan Medicinal Herbs*)
2. For hemoptysis due to pulmonary tuberculosis: 60–120 g of fresh oak root bark. Decoct in water and drink the decoction. (*Selected Compilation of Survey Data on Single-Ingredient and Proven Formulas*)
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest the roots in the fall, wash them, slice them, and sun-dry them for later use; they may also be used fresh.
Crude Drug Identification
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Quercus species, belonging to the Fagaceae family.
Morphological Characteristics
An evergreen shrub or small tree, 2–10 m tall. Branches and stems often bear sparse thorns, particularly on the young twigs. Leaves are leathery, alternate, petiolate, and 3–10 mm long;leaf blades are broadly ovate, ovate, or ovate-elliptic, 3–8 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, with an acuminate apex, a rounded or broadly cuneate base, glabrous on both surfaces, and serrate margins; there are 4–6 pairs of lateral veins. The plant is dioecious; racemes are axillary, 1–2 cm long, and pubescent; sepals number 4–6 and are ovate;no petals; male flowers have numerous stamens, with a disk composed of numerous glands located around the periphery of the stamens; female flowers have a disc-shaped disk with a slightly wavy margin, a unilocular ovary with two parietal placentas; the style is short, and the stigma is shallowly bifid. The fruit is a spherical berry, 3–4 mm in diameter, black when ripe, with a persistent style at the apex. Each fruit contains 2–3 seeds. Flowering occurs in summer.
Distribution Area
It is distributed throughout areas south of the Qinling Mountains and south of the Yangtze River.