mu dan pi

牡丹皮·Cortex Moutan

Moutan Root Bar

About mu dan pi

Mu Dan Pi (牡丹皮) is the root bark of the tree peony, recorded as Cortex Moutan. It is acrid and bitter in flavour, slightly cold, and enters the Heart, Liver and Kidney channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that cool the Blood.

Names

Pinyinmu dan pi
Chinese牡丹皮
Latin NameCortex Moutan
English NameMoutan Root Bar·Moutan Root Bark·tree peony bark
Japanesebotanpi
Koreanmokdanpi

Classification

Category
Cools Blood
Channels
Heart, Kidney, Liver
Flavour
Acrid, Bitter
Temperature
Slightly Cold
Part used
Root, Bark
Family
Ranunculaceae
Species
paeonia suffruticosa
Tags
Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Clears Heat and cools Blood

  • Heat at the Blood level with nosebleed, coughing or vomiting of blood, or bleeding under the skin (purpura)
  • Heavy periods from Blood Heat

Clears Deficiency Fire

  • After a warm febrile disease, lingering Yin-deficiency Heat that brings night fevers and cools by morning
  • Steaming bone disorder with no sweating; the absence of sweating sets it apart from herbs for Yin-deficiency sweating

Invigorates Blood and dispels stasis

  • Blood stasis with absent or painful periods or menstrual cramps
  • Abdominal masses
  • Bruises, lumps and swelling from injury
  • Liver Blood stagnation

Clears Liver Fire

  • Liver Fire causing pain of the head, eyes or flanks, a flushed face and painful periods

Drains pus and reduces swelling

  • Sores that will not drain, applied topically
  • Intestinal abscess, taken internally

Combinations

Dosage

AgeRawGranuleTinctureConcentrateFrequency
Any 6-12g; Maximum dose: 30g; Tincture: 2-4ml6-12 g2-4 ml

Cautions

Interactions

Antagonistic with

Drug interactions