Pharmaceutical Name:

Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae

Botanical Name:

Citrus Reticulata Blanco

Common Name:

Tangerine Peel

Source of Earliest Record:

Shennong Bencao Jing

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations:

After tangerines ripen in autumn, the skins are collected and dried.

Properties and Taste:

Pungent, bitter and warm

Meridian:

Spleen and lung

Functions:

To regulate qi in the spleen and stomach
To dry dampness and resolve phlegm

Indications and Combinations:

1.     Qi stagnation in the spleen and stomach manifested as epigastric and abdominal distension and fullness, belching, nausea and vomiting, poor appetite and diarrhea. 
*Use with Bitter orange (Zhiqiao) and Costus root (Muxiang) for epigastric and abdominal distension and fullness, with Fresh ginger (Shengjiang) and Bamboo shavings (Zhuru) for nausea and vomiting, and with Pilose asiabell root (Dangshen) and White atractylodes (Baizhu) for poor appetite and diarrhea.

2.     Dampness blocking the spleen and stomach manifested as fullness and stifling sensation in the chest and epigastric region, poor appetite, lassitude, diarrhea and white and sticky tongue coating.
*Use with Atractylodes rhizome (Cangzhu) and Magnolia bark (Houpo) in the formula Pingwei San.

3.     Excessive dampness, deficiency of the spleen and turbid phlegm blocking the lungs manifested as cough with profuse sputum.
*Use with Pinellia tuber (Banxia) and Poria (Fuling) in the formula Erchen Tang.

Dosage:

3-10 g