Tiankui is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Ranunculaceae family. It is distributed in southwestern China, eastern China, northeastern China, and other regions. It is found in the Yuntai Mountain area and southern parts of the province. It is also distributed in the southern part of Henan province, along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and as far south as the northern part of Guangxi and as far north as southern Shaanxi. The tuber of Tiankui is used in medicine and has the functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling and pain, and diuresis.
Tiankui is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows to a height of 15-40 cm. Its tuber is gray-black and slightly spindle-shaped or elliptical. The stem is slender, erect, branched, and covered with white fine hairs. The basal leaves are in a rosette, with long petioles, and are palmately compound with three leaflets. The leaflets are broadly wedge-shaped, further divided into three lobes, with rounded tips or 2-3 small notches, green on the upper surface, purple on the lower surface, and smooth and hairless. The leaflets have short petioles with fine hairs. The stem leaves are similar to the basal leaves, but gradually become smaller from bottom to top. The flowers are solitary in the leaf axils, with elongated peduncles after fruiting, and two small bracts in the middle. The flowers are small and white. The sepals are petal-like and ovate. The petals are wedge-shaped and slightly shorter than the sepals. There are usually 10 stamens, with two of them incompletely developed. There are 3-4 pistils, with narrow ovaries and short styles that curl outward. The fruit is a pod-like follicle, and it opens when ripe. The seeds are small and inverted-ovate. The flowering period is from March to April, and the fruit ripening period is from May to June.
The tuber (Tiankuizi) and seeds (Qian Nian Hao Zi Sheng Zi) of this plant are also used in medicine, with detailed information provided in separate articles.
It grows in forest understory, crevices in rocks, and grassy areas in damp and shady places. It is distributed in southwestern China, eastern China, northeastern China, and other regions.
Taste and properties according to "Commonly Used Traditional Chinese Medicines in Shanghai": "Sweet, cold."
Functions and indications: Reducing swelling, detoxifying, and diuresis. It is used to treat scrofula, hernia, and urinary retention.
According to "Commonly Used Traditional Chinese Medicines in Shanghai": "Clears heat and detoxifies, and promotes diuresis. It is used to treat scrofula, swelling and toxicity, snake bites, and urinary tract stones."
