bai hua she she cao

白花蛇舌草·Herba Hedyotis Diffusae

Heydyotis

Toxic

Toxicity graded by American Dragon.

About bai hua she she cao

Bai Hua She She Cao (白花蛇舌草) is oldenlandia, recorded as Herba Hedyotis Diffusae. It is bitter and sweet in flavour and cold in temperature, entering the Liver, Stomach and both Intestine channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that clear Heat and relieve toxicity. Its Chinese name reads as white-flowered snake-tongue herb.

Names

Pinyin	bai hua she she cao
Chinese	白花蛇舌草
Latin Name	Herba Hedyotis Diffusae
English Name	Heydyotis·oldenlandia·oldenlandia; heydyotis
Japanese	byakkajazetsuso
Korean	baekhwasaseolcho·baekhwasasolchio

Classification

Category: Clear Heat, Relieve Toxicity
Channels: Large Intestine, Stomach, Small Intestine, Liver
Flavour: Sweet, Bitter
Temperature: Cold
Family: Rubiaceae
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Clears Heat, strongly resolves Fire toxicity and reduces abscesses (internal and topical)

Intestinal abscess, including acute appendicitis
Toxic sores, boils, ulcers and swellings (Chuang Yang)
Snakebite
Cancers; commonly added to formulas for masses of the stomach, oesophagus and intestines, as a prescribing tradition rather than proven benefit
Blisters and ichthyosis, applied topically

Clears Heat, drains Damp and promotes urination

Lin syndrome, with hot and painful urination from Damp-Heat
Jaundice from Damp-Heat

Combinations

bai jiang cao + hong teng
Intestinal abscess.
jin yin hua + lian qiao + ye ju hua
Carbuncles and skin sores (Chuang Yung)
xuan shen + jie geng
Swollen, painful throat.
chong lou + zi hua di ding
Snakebite, used both internally and topically
ban bian lian + shi wei
Lin Syndrome.
zhi zi + huang bai + yin chen hao
Damp-Heat jaundice.
ban zhi lian
Cancer.
tian men dong
Fibrocystic breasts; cancers of the breast and lymphatic system
ban bian lian + zi hua di ding
Topically for snakebite.
ban zhi lian + shan ci gu + e zhu + shan dou gen
Cancer.
zi cao + qian hu + niu huang
Lung cancer, taken as a powder
huang yao zi + shan dou gen + bai jiang cao + bai xian pi + xia ku cao
Cancers of the esophagus, stomach and colon, taken as a powder
bai mao gen + che qian zi + shi wei
Painful urination from Damp-Heat (Shi Re Lin)
yin chen hao + huang bai + zhi zi
Damp-Heat jaundice.

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 15-60g; 75-150g for cancers; Tincture: 2-5ml	15-60 g	—	2-5 ml	—	—

Cautions

pregnancy Avoid in pregnancy; one source advises caution and the other contraindicates it
caution Deficiency Cold of the Spleen and Stomach (poor appetite, loose stools, dislike of cold): as a bitter, cold herb it can weaken digestion further
caution Not a tonic for long-term use
caution Look-alike species are sold under this name, so correctly identified material matters
caution Not a cancer treatment: the research is mostly laboratory and animal work, and anyone in cancer care should raise it with their treating team before use, never in place of treatment