The dried ripe seeds of Pharbitis nil or P. purpurea (Convolvulaceae). Enters the Lung, Kidney, and Large Intestine channels. Purges downward to drain water while also eliminating accumulation and killing parasites. Slightly toxic.
牵qian
Actions · 功效
泻下逐水Purge downward and drain water
去积杀虫Eliminate accumulation and kill parasites
祛痰涤饮Dispel phlegm and cleanse retained fluid
Indications · 主治
水肿臌胀Edema and drum-like distention
痰壅气喘Wheezing due to phlegm congestion
虫积腹痛Abdominal pain from parasitic accumulation
Dosage · 用量
Per day · decoction · non-pregnant adult
3–6 g
入丸散。炒用，生用毒大。有小毒
Reference range for non-pregnant adults. Not a personalized prescription. Pregnancy, lactation, and pediatric use require specialist supervision.
✎Draft
Footnotes · 引用
[1]Mingyi Bielu (Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians)
[2]Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica)
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Cite this entry
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@misc{bencaodian-qian-niu-zi,
author = {{Bencaodian Editorial}},
title = {Qiān Niú Zǐ 牵牛子 (Morning Glory Seed) — Pharbitidis Semen},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Bencao Dian: A Bilingual Knowledge Graph of Traditional Chinese Medicine},
url = {https://bencaodian.org/en/herbs/qian-niu-zi},
urldate = {2026-04-16},
note = {CC BY-SA 4.0}
}