Dì Gǔ Pí (地骨皮), known in English as Wolfberry root bark (Lycium chinense (root bark)), is a cold, sweet Chinese herb from the Clear heat category. It enters the Lung, Liver and Kidney channels. Its main action: cools Blood, clears deficiency Heat — steaming bone disorder.
| Pinyin | Dì Gǔ Pí (Di Gu Pi) |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 地骨皮 |
| English | Wolfberry root bark |
| Botanical name | Lycium chinense (root bark) |
| Category | Clear heat |
| Nature | Cold |
| Flavour | Sweet |
| Channels | Lung, Liver, Kidney |
| Dosage | 9–15g |
| Cautions | Spleen deficiency with diarrhoea; Wind-Cold cough |
Actions
- Cools Blood, clears deficiency Heat — steaming bone disorder
- Clears Lung Heat, stops cough
Indications
- Yin deficiency with steaming bone, night sweats, afternoon fever
- Lung Heat cough
- Haemoptysis
How to remember Dì Gǔ Pí
Clear heat herbs are mostly cool or cold and bitter, and most enter the Stomach and Liver channels.
- You can work these out
- Cold, Liver channel: like most Clear heat herbs
- Lung channel: from its action “Clears Lung Heat”
- Kidney channel: from its action “clears deficiency Heat — steaming bone disorder”
- Learn by heart
- Sweet: unusual for Clear heat herbs (most are bitter)
Formulas containing Dì Gǔ Pí
Other Clear heat herbs
- Shí Gāo
- Zhī Mǔ
- Huáng Qín
- Huáng Lián
- Huáng Bǎi
- Lóng Dǎn Cǎo
- Zhī Zǐ
- Jīn Yín Huā
- Lián Qiào
- Pú Gōng Yīng
- Tiān Huā Fěn
- Lú Gēn
- Zhú Yè
- Xià Kū Cǎo
- Jué Míng Zǐ
- Kǔ Shēn
- Qín Pí
- Bái Xiān Pí
- Zǐ Huā Dì Dīng
- Bái Huā Shé Shé Cǎo
- Bǎn Lán Gēn
- Tǔ Fú Líng
- Shè Gān
- Qīng Hāo
- Yín Chái Hú
- Hú Huáng Lián
- Mǔ Dān Pí
- Chì Sháo
- Xuán Shēn
- Shuǐ Niú Jiǎo
- Bái Wēi
- Bái Tóu Wēng
- Bài Jiàng Cǎo
- Yú Xīng Cǎo
- Shān Dòu Gēn
- Mǎ Bó
- Yě Jú Huā
- Lǜ Dòu
- Hé Yè
Test yourself
What is the nature and flavour of Dì Gǔ Pí?
Dì Gǔ Pí is cold and sweet.
Which channels does Dì Gǔ Pí enter?
Dì Gǔ Pí enters the Lung, Liver and Kidney channels.
What are the actions of Dì Gǔ Pí?
Cools Blood, clears deficiency Heat — steaming bone disorder; Clears Lung Heat, stops cough.
What is Dì Gǔ Pí used for?
Yin deficiency with steaming bone, night sweats, afternoon fever; Lung Heat cough; haemoptysis.
Which formulas contain Dì Gǔ Pí?
Xiè Bái Sǎn, Qīng Jīng Sǎn and Qīng Gǔ Sǎn.
Practise Dì Gǔ Pí and the other 290 herbs
Recognise each herb from its picture, recall its nature, flavour, channels and actions, and review it again just before you would forget it.
Try the 5-question herb quizShen Study is a study tool. Doses and cautions are as taught in standard Chinese materia medica texts; they are not prescribing advice.