Chinese herbal medicine Tangjie is the whole plant and seeds of the cruciferous plant Tangjie. It is mainly distributed in Northeast China, North China, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Sichuan, and other places. It has the functions of tonifying the spleen and stomach, diuresis, and strengthening the heart. Let's learn about the medicinal uses of Tangjie below.
Introduction of Tangjie
Tangjie has the functions of tonifying the spleen and stomach, diuresis, and strengthening the heart. It tastes bitter and pungent, and has a cold nature. It belongs to the spleen, stomach, and heart meridians. It is mainly used for spleen and stomach disharmony, indigestion, and edema caused by heart failure.
Usage and Dosage
Oral administration: Decoction, 6-9g; powdered and taken, 0.3-1g.
Collection and Processing
The whole plants are collected and dug in spring and summer, and the seeds are harvested when the fruits are ripe from July to September. The whole plant is cut, dried, and the seeds are separated and cleaned.
Identification of Tangjie
1. Morphological characteristics of the medicinal material:
The stem can reach up to 60cm in length, unbranched or with some branches, with ridges and covered with dense adpressed binate hairs. The leaves are often wrinkled, and the expanded leaf blade is lanceolate or narrowly linear, with basal leaves measuring 5-15cm in length and 0.5-2cm in width, with entire margins and adpressed binate hairs on both sides.
The flowers have a diameter of about 1cm; the petals are orange-yellow and round. It has a slight aroma and a slightly bitter taste. The seeds are elongated, flattened on the sides, about 2.5mm long, and deep reddish-brown. It has a slight aroma and a mild taste.
2. Appearance of the prepared pieces:
It is irregular in shape, with stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits mixed together. The stems are round and strip-shaped with ridges, covered with adpressed hairs. The leaves are mostly fragmented, with sparsely serrated or nearly entire edges. The flowers are light yellow, and the petals are inverted ovate. The siliques are short or slender, with blunt ridges, and there are multiple elongated seeds that are deep reddish-brown.
