Pharmaceutical Name: Fructus Aristlochiae

Botanical Name: 1. Aristolochia contorta Bge.; 2. Aristolochia debilis Sieb. et Zucc.

Names: Birthwort, Long Birthwort, Pelican Flower, Red River Snakeroot, Sangree Root, Sangrel, Serpentaria, Snakeroot, Snakeweed, Texas Snakeroot, Virginia Serpentary, Virginia Snakeroot. Aristolochia auricularia; Aristolochia clematitis; Aristolochia fangchi; Aristolochia heterophylla; Aristolochia kwangsiensis; Aristolochia moupinensis; Aristolochia reticulata; Aristolochia serpentaria; other Aristolochia species.

Family: Aristolochiaceae.

Properties:

clears lungs, transforms phlegm – cough, wheezing, heat signs
hypertension, bleeding haemorrhoids

Dosage: 3 – 9g.

Also Used For:

Orally, Ma Dou Ling/Aristolochia is used as an aphrodisiac, anticonvulsant, immune stimulant, and to promote menstruation. It is also used orally to treat allergic gastrointestinal colic and gallbladder colic.

Source of Earliest Record: Yaoxing Lun

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The ripe fruit is gathered in autumn and dried in the sun.