Lepidium seu Descurainia, Ting Li Zi 葶苈子
Pepperweed, Pepper grassTing Li Zi (TCM)
Shang tshe dkar po ཤང་ཚེ་ དཀར་པོ་ (Descurainia, Tibetan Medicine)
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Lepidium apetalum Clark, G.H., Fletcher, J., Farm weeds of Canada |
Descurainia sophia Korsmo, E., Unkrauttaflen – Weed plates – Planches des mauvaises herbes – Ugressplansjer (1934-1938) |
Lepidium apetalum(Photo by Dalgial) (Wikimedia)
Botanical name:
Two separate plants supply this medicine:
- Lepidium apetalum (Bitter or Northern Bei Ting Li Zi)
- Descurainia sophia (Sweet or Southern Nan Ting Li Zi)
Parts used:
Seed
Temperature & Taste:
Cold (Warm), dry. Bitter, Pungent
TCM considers it Cold, but it is definitely Warm in nature as is its relative Garden Cress, or at least should be regarded as Neutral (as some Tibetan sources class it). This is evident in its burning irritation in large doses, and the fact that high doses have been associated with blistering, and even in its common name Pepperwort. The classification as a Cold herb in TCM is due to its effectiveness against Heat-type Cough.
Classifications:
Q. Stop Cough and Wheezing
Uses:
1. Clears Phlegm, Stops Cough and Wheezing: (TCM)
-Cough, Wheezing from excess Phlegm, or Lung Heat
-also used for cases with Cold-Phlegm-Damp depending on the herbs its combined with
2. Clears Water, Promotes Urine: (TCM)
-Edema, facial Edema, Ascites
-fluid obstructing the chest or abdomen
3. Clears Swellings, Resists Poison: (Tibet, Descurainia)
-Swellings, Tumors, Cancer
-Inflammation of muscle
-diseases caused by Evil spirits; used in exorcism
Dose:
Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams
Preparation:
1. Dry-Fried Ting Li Zi:
Seed are dry fried in a moderate Wok until they become aromatic and begin to pop. This moderates their Cold nature, according to TCM. Although we can perhaps say it moderates its harshness, if we are to accept they are warm in nature. This is a popular method of preparation.
2. Honey-fried Ting Li Zi.
The seeds are mixed with 5–10% their weight of Honey diluted with a little water, then dry fried and sprayed again with a little water, continuing to stir-fry until purplish. This makes the seeds more moistening and is better for Lung deficiency with excess thin mucus.
Main Combinations:
1. Cough and Wheezing from excess Phlegm, Lepidium/Descurainia seed, Chinese Red Date (Da Zao)
2. Cough, Wheezing:
i. Lepidium/Descurainia seed with Perilla fructus Zi Su Zi.
ii. Lepidium/Descurainia seed with Plantain seed (Che Qian Zi), Mulberry bark (Sang Bai Pi), Bitter Apricot kernel (Ku Xing Ren)
iii. from Heat with yellow, sticky phlegm, Lepidium/Descurainia seed with Mulberry bark (Sang Bai Pi), Trichosanthes semen Gua Lou, Inula flos Xuan Fu Hua
iv. and a sense of fullness in the chest from excess thin mucus, Lepidium/Descurainia seed with Pharbitis Qian Niu Zi, Apricot kernel (Xing Ren)
3. Whooping Cough, Lepidium/Descurainia seed with Trichosanthes semen Gua Lou, Citrus rubra Ju Hong, Stemona Bai Bu
4. Asthma, Wheezing:
i. from Lung Heat Lepidium/Descurainia seed with Scutellaria Huang Qin, Ephedra Ma Huang, Apricot kernel (Xing Ren)
ii. from Damp-Phlegm with profuse white mucus, Lepidium/Descurainia seed with Pinellia Ban Xia, Citrus rubra Ju Hong, Perilla semen Su Zi
5. Edema, Fluid accumulation:
i. of the eyes and face, Lepidium/Descurainia seed with Mulberry bark (Sang Bai Pi)
ii. Ascites, Lepidium/Descurainia seed, Stephania Han Fang Ji, Rhubarb (Da Huang)
6. Fullness and pain in the chest, Lepidium/Descurainia seed with Rhubarb (Da Huang) and Apricot kernel (Xing Ren)
Major Formulas:
Cautions:
1. Avoid in Cold and weak Stomach
2. Avoid in Yin deficiency. Large doses or excess use can cause excess diuresis which may lead to hypokalemia.
3. Allergic reactions have been reported.