Motherwort (Yimucao)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Herba Leonuri |
| Botanical Name: | Leonurus heterophyllus Sweet |
| Common Name: | Motherwort |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Shennong Bencao Jing |
| art Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The entire plant is gathered in May or June, when it is flowering. It is then dried in the sun. |
| Properties and Taste: | Pungent, bitter and slightly cold |
| Meridian: | Heart, liver and urinary bladder |
| Functions: | To invigorate blood and move stagnation To promote urination and reduce edema |
| Indications and Combinations: | 1. Blood stagnation manifested as irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain and swelling and pain due to external injuries. *Use with Chinese angelica root (Danggui), Chuanxiong rhizome (Chuanxiong) and Red peony (Chishao). Motherwort (Yimucao) may also be used alone. 2. Dysuria or edema. *Use with Fresh Imperata rhizome (Baimaogen). |
| Dosage: | 10-15 g |