Phragmites, Reed, Lu Gen 芦根

Common Reed, Reed Grass
Lu Gen (TCM)

Flora Danica [G.C. Oeder et al] (1761-1883)

Flora von Deutschland, Kohler, 1886

Botanical name:

Phragmites communis (syn. P. australis, P. vulgaris, P. communis var. longivalvis, Arundo phragmites, A. vulgaris)
Arundo donax (Mannard Reed grass) is regarded as synonymous by Western sources.

Parts used:

Rhizome, fresh or dried

Temperature & Taste:

Cool, moist. Sweet

Classifications:

B. Clear Strong Heat or Fire

Uses:

1. Clears Heat, Generates Fluid: (TCM, West)
-Fever or acute Heat diseases with Thirst
-Lung or Stomach heat with damage to fluids, with dry mouth, thirst, irritability
-Cough, Bronchitis from Lung Heat
-can also be used as an adjunct for Diabetes with Heat (it has a proven hypoglycemia effect)

2. Clears Heat, Promotes Urine: (TCM, West)
-dark, scanty or bloody urine, especially if there is thirst
-Urinary infection with difficult, painful urination
-Edema with Heat
-Gout, Rheumatism with Heat symptoms
-Diarrhea

3. Resists Poison, Promotes Rashes: (TCM, West)
-helps promote full expression Rashes in febrile diseases such as Measles, Chicken Pox (TCM)
-Boils, Carbuncles
-Pulmonary abscess (TCM)
-formerly regarded as useful for Rabid Dog bites (West)
-it has been used for Tumors, Breast Cancer and Leukemia

4. Externally:
-topically for pain
-juice is applied to insect bites

Dose:

Dried root: 15–30 grams in decoction;
Fresh root: 30–60 (up to 90) grams

Substitute:

Fresh Imperata Bai Mao Gen is accepted by some practitioners as a substitute for Fresh Lu Gen.

Comment:

The fresh root is better to clear Heat and generate Fluids.

Main Combinations:

1. Fever with Thirst due to heat injuring Fluids, Irritability:
i. Phragmites Lu Gen with Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong
ii. Thirst and dryness after febrile disease, Phragmites Lu Gen with Eribotrya Pi Pa Ye
iii. Phragmites Lu Gen root juice is used with fresh juices of Ophiopogon Mai Men Dong, Lotus root, and Pear (as in Wu Zhi Yin from Detailed Analysis of Warm Diseases [Wen Bing Tiao Bian]).
2. Wind-Heat injuring the Lungs with Cough and Thirst:
i. Phragmites Lu Gen with Chrysanthemum Ju Hua, Lonicera Jin Yin Hua, Mint (Bo He)
ii. Phragmites Lu Gen with Chrysanthemum Ju Hua, Mulberry leaf (Sang Ye), Almond (Xing Ren)
3. Stomach heat, with Vomiting and Thirst:
i. Phragmites Lu Gen with Bamboo shavings Zhu Ru, Eribotrya Pi Pa Ye
ii. Phragmites Lu Gen with Bamboo shavings Zhu Ru, fresh Ginger
4. Purulent sputum in Bronchitis, Phragmites Lu Gen with Benincasa Dong Gua Zi, Job’s Tears (Yi Yi Ren), Houttuynia Yu Xing Cao, Peach kernel (Tao Ren)
5. Lung abscess:
i. Phragmites Lu Gen with purulent blood-streaked sputum, with Job’s Tears (Yi Yi Ren), Benicasa seed Dong Gua Zi.
ii. Phragmites Lu Gen with Houttuynia Yu Xing Cao, Platycodon Jie Geng
iii. Phragmites Lu Gen with Houttuynia Yu Xing Cao, Platycodon Jie Geng, Paeonia Mu Dan Pi, Patrinia Bai Jiang Cao
6. Purulent Sores, Bronchitis, Appendicitis, Phragmites Lu Gen with Houttuynia Yu Xing Cao, Platycodon Jie Geng, Benincasa Dong Gua Zi, Job’s Tears (Yi Yi Ren)
7. Nausea, vomiting from Stomach heat, Phragmites Lu Gen with Persimmon calyx (Shi Di)
8. Stomach Fire with dry mouth, toothache, bad breath:
i. Phragmites Lu Gen with Coptis Huang Lian, Scutellaria Huang Qin
ii. Phragmites Lu Gen with Gypsum Shi Gao

Phragmites, Reed, Lu Gen PRO