Curculigo Rhizome 

CAS：143601-11-0

Latin: Rhizoma Curculiginis

Properties: Pungent in flavor, hot and mildly toxic in nature, it is related to the kidney, liver and spleen channels.

Origin:

Curculigo rhizome is the dried root of Curculigo orchioides Gaertn., of the family Amaryllidaceae. Native in east Asia, the plant is grown in hilly areas in large scale in China and India.
The flower of curculigo is yellow in color. It is in flowers in November and December. In China, it is produced mainly in the Guangdong and Sichuan Provinces.
The herb is dug in autum and winter, washed clean after removal of stem and rootlets, and then the rhizome is dried in the air. It is used unprepared or stir-baked with wine.

Functions: Tonifys kidney-yang, strengthens muscles and bones, dispels pathogenic wind and eliminates dampness.
Being highly pungent, warm, dry and mildly toxic, it has a strong power in invigorating kidney-yang, increase the energy, and has effects of dispelling wind-dampness and strengthening muscles and bones, serves to treat syndromes resulted from insufficiency of kidney-yang and decline of the fire from the gate of life, arthralgia syndrom of wind-dampness and weak extremities.

Applications:

1.For insufficiency of kidney-yang and decline of fire from the gate of life manifested as impotence, premature ejeculation, infertility due to sperm coldness, it is often used with herbs for warming the kidney and strengthening yang, such as Herba Epimedii, Radix Morindae Officinalis, Cortex Eucommiae, Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata, Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum, etc.
2. For arthralgia-syndrome due to wind-dampness, cold pain in the loins and knees, lumbago due to kidney-deficiency and weak extremities, it is often used together with Ramulus Loranthi, Radix Dipsaci, Radix Angelicae Pubescens, Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae, Radix Achyranthis, Cortex Eucommiae, etc., to tonify the liver and kidney to dispell wind-dampness.
3. For anemia (the blood is deficient in red blood cells), grind together the entire plant of curculigo orchioides and roots of Abrus precatirious (10 g) into a paste. Prepare tablets with this paste. Take orally two tablets each time twice daily for 15 days with un-boiled milk or a little honey.
4. For blood dysentery, grind the tuber of curculigo orchioides (20 g) into a paste. Prepare 5 g of tablets from this paste. Take one tablet orally once daily for three days.
5. For bone fracture, grind together the entire plant of Curculigo orchioides and the roots of Hatikana (tribal) into a paste. Heat the paste gently and apply the paste on fracture area and tie a cloth over it. Keep the bandage for a week. After a week take orally the dried powdery tuber of curculigo orchioides with un-boiled cow milk for a week.

Cautions on Use:

Owing to its pungent, warm and toxic properties, this herb should not be used in overdose or for a long time.
The functions of curculigo rhizome are similar to that of epimedium, only that it is hotter in nature and can dry up the yin. Those with yin deficiency and latent heat should avoid consuming it.