Di Fu Zi (Fructus Kochiae)

This product is a rare and commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, and "Shennong's Materia Medica《神农本草经》" is listed as the top grade.

Alias: Sao Zhou Zi (Broom Cypress Fruit).

Source: Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad, an annual herb of the Chenopinoa family. of dried fruits. Mostly cultivated.

Origin: Mainly produced in North China, Northwest, Shandong, Henan and other places, all over the country are distributed.

Trait identification: the fruit is oblate or five-pointed star-shaped. Diameter 2~3mm. The outer calyx is membranous, grayish-brown or reddish, with five wings, arranged in the shape of a five-pointed star. Wings tend to fall off. There is a fruit stalk mark in the center of the back. And more than a dozen radial ridges can be seen. Peel off the calyx and have a seed inside. Brownish-brown, small in shape like a sesame seed, about 1 mm long. The inner kernel is oily. The embryo is greenish-yellow, shaped like a horseshoe. Endosperm white. There is no smell, the taste is slightly salty and then bitter and sour, and there is a numbing in the throat. It is considered to be of better quality to have full fruits without impurities such as branches and leaves.

Main ingredients: Contains saponins and vitamin A.

Pharmacological action: dampness and heat (diuretic, anti-skin fungal).

Preparation: Raw.

Taste: bitter cold.

Meridian: into the bladder meridian.

Function: clear dampness and heat, facilitate urination.

Indications: Internal treatment of cystitis or difficulty in urination, or drenching; external treatment of skin eczema, rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases.

（1） As an adjuvant of diuretic, it can strengthen the effect of other diuretics, that is, the predecessors said that it can be used as a "sound guide" for diuretics, treat heat shower or edema, and is often used with Qu Mai, Zhu Ling, Tong Cao, etc.

（2） It is more commonly used to treat damp heat or wind heat of the skin, such as various eczema and itch rashes. It can be used internally or externally. Oral administration with Sheng Di, Ye Ju Hua, Bai Xian Pi, such as  in the formula Chu Shi Xiao Zhen Tang. For external use, decoction is used to wash the affected area with She Chuang Zi and so on.

Dosage: 3~15g for internal use, appropriate amount for external use.

Prescription examples

· Dehumidifying and anti-rash soup: Di Fu Zi 15g, Bai Xian Pi 9g, Chuan Bi Cian 12g, Ku Shen 9g, Ye Ju Hua 9g, Sheng Di 12g, Hong Hua 9g, Chi Shao 9g, decoction in water.

Note: There are two kinds of original plants in this product: green stem and pink stem. According to the laboratory test of the Beijing Institute for Drug Control, the chemical composition is different, the green one has no crystallization in the alcohol extract, and the pink one has crystallization. Beijing only uses green stems, not pink stems. Both are commonly used in Tianjin.

· In East China, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Guizhou and other provinces, the cell fruit of the quinoa plant quinoa, commonly known as Hui Lai Zi (“gray cabbage seed”), is used as Di Fu Zi. This product is obtuse triangular spherical and slightly flattened. It is about 1 mm in diameter and is grass green or dark green. Slightly resembles the skin of the earth, but does not have five wings. The seeds are flattened and spherical. The smell is the same as Di Fu Zi.

· In some areas of Sichuan and Yunnan, legume seeds are used as Di Fu Zi. The pods are flattened and ovate. It is about 3mm long and 2mm wide. The surface is grayish-brown with a reticulated pattern. The apex is acute, beak-shaped, the base often has a cup-shaped calyx, there are 5 lanceolate lobes, the pod is not dehisced, contains a light brown seed, ovate, with two yellow cotyledons. The smell is slight and the taste is slightly bitter.

The above two types are not used in the Beijing-Tianjin area.

Disclaimer: All above articles are for reference only. If patients are interested, please consult a professional practitioner Traditional Chinese Medicine for a consultation.