地膚子
Broom cypress fruit (Difuzi)

Pharmaceutical Name: Fructus kochiae

Botanical Name: Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad.

Common Name: Kochia fruit, Broom cypress fruit

Source of Earliest Record: Shennong Bencao Jing

Part Used: When the fruit ripens in autumn, it is gathered and dried in the sun.

Natural Properties & Taste: Bitter and cold

Meridians: Urinary bladder

Therapeutic Effects:
1. To clear heat and transform dampness; 2. To stop itching

Indications:
1. Damp-heat in the urinary bladder manifested as dysuria, painful urination, frequent urination and urgency of micturition. Broom cypress fruit (Difuzi) is used with herbs that clear heat and promote urination, including Talc (Huashi) and Plantain seed (Cheqianzi).

2. Eczema and scabies. Broom cypress fruit (Difuzi) is used with Phellodendron bark (Huangbai), Flavescent sophora root (Kushen) and Dittany bark (Baixianpi).

Dosage: 10-15 g