ma bo

Name: ma bo
Creator: Bencao Index

马勃·Lasiosphaera

Puffball Fruiting Body

About ma bo

Ma Bo (马勃) is the fruiting body of the puffball fungus, recorded as Lasiosphaera seu Calvatia. It is acrid in flavour and neutral in temperature, entering the Lung channel alone. The catalogue files it among the herbs that clear Heat and relieve toxicity.

Names

Pinyin	ma bo
Chinese	马勃
Latin Name	Lasiosphaera·Lasiosphaera seu Calvatia
English Name	Puffball Fruiting Body
Japanese	babotsu
Korean	mabal

Classification

Category: Clear Heat, Relieve Toxicity
Channels: Lung
Flavour: Acrid
Temperature: Neutral
Family: Lycoperdaceae
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Clears Lung Heat, resolves Fire toxin and benefits the throat

Fire toxin with a swollen, sore throat, hoarseness or loss of voice
Cough or asthma from Lung Heat

Stops bleeding

Bleeding in the mouth, particularly the gums and lips, applied topically or taken internally
Nosebleed, or vomiting blood
Bleeding gums from frostbite

Combinations

ban lan gen + she gan + xuan shen
Swelling and pain in the neck and throat
xuan shen
Wind-Heat obstructing the throat with swelling and pain. Clears the upper body, restores proper descent, nourishes Yin and relieves pain
bai mao gen + ou jie + ce bai ye
Epistaxis and hematemesis
chan tui
Loss of voice

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 1.5-6g; Tincture: 0.5-2ml	1.5-6 g	—	0.5-2 ml	—	—

Cautions

contraindication Hoarseness or loss of voice from Wind-Cold
contraindication No Lung Heat present
contraindication Chronic cough, which usually reflects deficiency or dryness rather than Fire toxin
caution Keep the powder from becoming airborne when handling it: breathing in large amounts of puffball spores can cause a hypersensitivity lung disease (lycoperdonosis)