Shan Ci Gu (山慈菇) — Pleione Bulb | TCM Herb Guide
Key Takeaways
- Nature: Cool | Taste: Slightly Acrid, Sweet
- Category: Herbs that Clear Heat and Resolve Toxicity
- Latin: Cremastrae seu Pleiones Pseudobulbus
At a Glance
- Herb: Shan Ci Gu
- Chinese name: 山慈菇 (Shān Cí Gū)
- Latin name: Cremastrae seu Pleiones Pseudobulbus
- Nature: Cool
- Taste: Sweet / Slightly Acrid
- Meridian: Liver / Spleen
- Category: Herbs that Clear Heat and Resolve Toxicity
- Introduction: Shan Ci Gu (山慈菇), Pseudobulbus Cremastrae seu Pleiones, is the dried pseudobulb of Cremastra appendiculata or Pleione bulbocodioides, terrestrial orchids native to mountain forests. A potent heat-clearing, toxin-resolving herb, it specializes in dissipating masses, reducing nodules, and treating tumors — making it one of the most important anti-cancer herbs in TCM. Its colchicine content accounts for anti-mitotic, antitumor, and anti-gout properties documented in modern research.
Action
- Clears heat and resolves toxicity
- Dissipates masses and reduces nodules
- Reduces swelling and relieves pain
- Anti-tumor (modern clinical use)
Clinical Application
- Scrofula, thyroid nodules, lymphoma — combines with Xuan Shen, Mu Li, Zhe Bei Mu
- Tumors: breast cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer (adjunctive) — combines with Ban Zhi Lian, Bai Hua She She Cao
- Carbuncles, toxic sores, snake bites — topical and internal
- Gout flare (acute) from damp-heat — combines with Huang Bai, Cang Zhu, Yi Yi Ren
- Breast lumps and thyroid nodules from phlegm-fire stagnation
Precautions
- Dosage: 3–9 g in decoction; 1.5–3 g as powder
- Contains colchicine — toxic in large doses; do not exceed recommended dose
- Contraindicated in pregnancy
- Contraindicated in deficiency cold patterns without toxic heat accumulation
- Long-term use requires liver function monitoring due to colchicine content
- Topical use: grind to paste for external sores
Formula
- Zi Jin Ding (紫金锭 / Yu Shu Dan): Shan Ci Gu, Wen Mao, Zhu Sha, Da Ji, Wu Bei Zi, Qian Jin Zi — resolves toxicity, disperses masses; classical antidote pill
- Shan Ci Gu + Xuan Shen + Mu Li + Zhe Bei Mu: standard combination for scrofula and thyroid nodules
- Modern anti-cancer formula: Shan Ci Gu, Ban Zhi Lian, Bai Hua She She Cao, Ban Xia — phlegm-toxin tumor formula
Combinations
- Cremastra Pseudobulb (山慈菇) + Musk (麝香) + Realgar (雄黄) → Zi Jin Ding (紫金锭): clear heat toxin, resolve phlegm; emergency toxic conditions
- Cremastra Pseudobulb (山慈菇) + Zhejiang Fritillary Bulb (浙贝母) + Oyster Shell (牡蛎) → resolve phlegm, soften hardness, disperse nodules; scrofula, thyroid nodules, and subcutaneous masses
Pharmacological Effects
- Antitumor
- alkaloids inhibit cell division — colchicine-like effects in related species
- antibacterial; anti-inflammatory; antiviral; resolves phlegm masses and nodules; immunomodulatory; NOTE: toxic in large doses — use within therapeutic range
Classic Description
- Ben Cao Shi Yi (《本草拾遗》): ‘Governs carbuncle swelling, sore fistula, scrofula nodules, etc.; grind with vinegar and apply topically.’
- Ben Cao Gang Mu (《本草纲目》): ‘Cremastra Pseudobulb governs boil swelling; attacks toxin and breaks the skin; resolves all toxins, parasite toxin, and wounds from snake, insect, and rabid dog bites.’
- Ben Cao Bei Yao (《本草备要》): ‘Disperses carbuncle swelling; resolves all toxins; treats carbuncles and abscesses, malignant sores, scrofula nodules, and snake and insect bites.’
- Wai Ke Zheng Zong (《外科正宗》): ‘Treats carbuncles, upper back abscesses, boil toxin, and scrofula — using Zi Jin Ding ground with vinegar for external application.’