bi xie

Name: bi xie
Creator: Bencao Index

萆薢·Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae

hypoglaucous collett yam rhizome

About bi xie

Bi Xie (萄蘇) is the rhizome of a yam, recorded as Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae and known in English as tokoro. It is bitter in flavour and neutral in temperature, enters the Bladder, Liver and Stomach channels, and is filed among the herbs that drain Dampness.

Names

Pinyin	bi xie·bei xie
Chinese	萆薢
Latin Name	Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae
English Name	hypoglaucous collett yam rhizome·Tokoro
Japanese	hikai
Korean	bihae·myeonbihae

Classification

Category: Drain Dampness
Channels: Stomach, Bladder, Liver
Flavour: Bitter
Temperature: Neutral
Part used: Rhizome
Family: Dioscoreaceae
Species: Dioscorea Collettii
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Separates the clear from the turbid and resolves turbid Damp in the Lower Jiao

Cloudy urine or vaginal discharge from turbid Damp in the Lower Jiao
Damp-Heat or deficiency Heat

Separates the clear from the turbid

Turbid Damp in the Lower Jiao with cloudy or milky urine, blood-tinged urine, or vaginal discharge
Lower Jiao Damp-Heat: urination that is frequent, burning and painful, with a red tongue and a greasy yellow coat
Yang deficiency: the same turbid urine or discharge but with no burning or pain

Expels Wind-Damp, relaxes the sinews and unblocks the Luo channels

Low back pain, aching muscles, and legs that are numb or stiff, in Bi from Wind-Damp or Damp-Heat (a mild action)

Expels Wind-Damp and Damp-Heat, relaxes the sinews and unblocks the collaterals

Bi pain, where its effect is mild, including low back pain and legs that are stiff and numb, especially at the knees
Muscle aches

Clears Damp-Heat from the skin

Damp-Heat skin lesions such as eczema and pustular sores

Resolves Damp-Heat in the skin

Eczema and pustular sores from Damp-Heat

Combinations

shi chang pu + che qian zi + huang bai
Vaginal discharge, frequent urination or Milky Lin
yi zhi ren + wu yao
Frequent urination or incontinence of urine from Yang Deficiency
che qian zi + hua shi + huang bai
Damp-Heat pouring down with frequent, cloudy urination, vaginal discharge and a red tongue with a greasy yellow coat
yi zhi ren + wu yao + shi chang pu
Urine resembling rice porridge without pain or signs of Heat; Yang Deficiency with cloudy urine
wei ling xian
Wind-Damp Bi.
wei ling xian + gui zhi + zhi fu zi
Wind-Cold-Damp Bi.
wei ling xian + qin jiao + yi yi ren + han fang ji
Wind-Damp-Heat Bi.
huai niu xi + du zhong + xu duan
Kidney Deficiency with Wind-Damp, causing weakness and pain of the lower back
huang bai + yi yi ren
Damp-Heat skin lesions.
yi zhi ren
Kidney Deficiency with cloudy, frequent and difficult urination; vaginal discharge
fu ling + bai zhu
Leukorrhea from Dampness.
du huo + chuan xiong + wei ling xian
Bi syndrome.

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any	9-18 g	—	—	—	—

Cautions

caution Kidney Yin deficiency; draining Damp out through the urine can consume Yin further
contraindication Blazing Fire from Yin deficiency
caution Flaring Fire from Yin deficiency, for the same reason
contraindication Dribbling at the end of urination when no Damp is present
caution Dribbling at the end of urination where Damp is present
contraindication Low back pain from Kidney Yin deficiency
caution Its effect builds slowly; do not raise the dose past the standard range to hurry it
caution Several Dioscorea species are supplied under this name, so use properly identified material

Research

Chemical Comparison and Identification of Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitors of Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma and Dioscoreae Spongiosae Rhizoma by Chemometric Analysis and Spectrum-Effect Relationship Molecules · Journal Article · 2023
Polysaccharide isolated from Dioscorea septemloba improves hyperuricemia and alleviates renal fibrosis through gut-kidney axis in mice Int J Biol Macromol · Journal Article · 2024
Total Saponin of Dioscorea collettii Attenuates MSU Crystal-Induced Inflammation by Inhibiting the Activation of the TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway Evid Based Complement Alternat Med · Journal Article · 2021
Purification of steroidal saponins from dioscoreae hypoglaucae rhizoma by macroporous resin and evaluation of their anti-inflammatory effect J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci · Journal Article · 2025
Steroidal Saponins Isolated from the Rhizome of Dioscorea tokoro Inhibit Cell Growth and Autophagy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Life (Basel) · Journal Article · 2021

Prepared forms (1)

bi xie Fen

萆薢·Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae

Bi Xie (Fen) (萆薢) is bi xie in its fen form, the rhizome of a dioscorea yam, recorded as Rhizoma Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae. The catalogue holds no category, channels or actions for it.

The catalogue records no separate actions, dose or cautions for this preparation. Unless noted above it follows bi xie.

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