Portulaca (Machixian)
| Pharmaceutical Name: | Herba portulacae |
| Botanical Name: | Portulaca oleracea L. |
| Common Name: | Purslane Portulaca |
| Source of Earliest Record: | Xinxiu Bencao |
| Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: | The entire plant is gathered in summer, steamed or boiled and then dried in the sun. |
| Properties and Taste: | Sour and cold |
| Meridian: | Large intestine and liver |
| Functions: | To clear heat and release toxins To cool the blood and stop dysentery |
| Indications and Combinations: | Dysentery manifested as fever, abdominal pain, blood and pus in the stool and tenesmus. *Use with Scutellaria root (Huangqin) and Coptis root (Huanglian). Also, can be taken alone as treatment for these symptoms. |
| Dosage: | 30-60 g (double dosage for the fresh herb) |