Shí Wéi (石韦), known in English as Pyrrosia leaf (Pyrrosia lingua), is a cool, sweet and bitter Chinese herb from the Drain damp category. It enters the Lung and Bladder channels. Its main action: promotes urination, relieves painful urinary dysfunction — Heat, Blood and stone.
| Pinyin | Shí Wéi (Shi Wei) |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 石韦 |
| English | Pyrrosia leaf |
| Botanical name | Pyrrosia lingua |
| Category | Drain damp |
| Nature | Cool |
| Flavour | Sweet, Bitter |
| Channels | Lung, Bladder |
| Dosage | 6–12g |
| Cautions | Yin deficiency without Damp-Heat |
Actions
- Promotes urination, relieves painful urinary dysfunction — Heat, Blood and stone
- Clears Lung Heat, stops cough
- Cools Blood, stops bleeding
Indications
- Heat, Blood and stone painful urinary dysfunction
- Urinary blockage
- Wheezing and cough from Lung Heat
- Vomiting blood, nosebleed, blood in the urine and uterine bleeding
How to remember Shí Wéi
Drain damp herbs are mostly cool or cold and sweet, and most enter the Bladder channel.
- You can work these out
- Cool, Sweet: like most Drain damp herbs
- Lung channel: from its action “Clears Lung Heat”
- Bladder channel: from its action “Promotes urination”
- Learn by heart
- Bitter: unusual for Drain damp herbs (most are sweet)
Other Drain damp herbs
- Fú Líng
- Yì Yǐ Rén
- Zé Xiè
- Mù Tōng
- Huá Shí
- Chē Qián Zǐ
- Qú Mài
- Bì Xiè
- Yīn Chén Hāo
- Jīn Qián Cǎo
- Hǎi Jīn Shā
- Zhū Líng
- Dēng Xīn Cǎo
- Tōng Cǎo
- Biǎn Xù
- Dōng Kuí Zǐ
- Dì Fū Zǐ
- Dōng Guā Zǐ
Test yourself
What is the nature and flavour of Shí Wéi?
Shí Wéi is cool and sweet and bitter.
Which channels does Shí Wéi enter?
Shí Wéi enters the Lung and Bladder channels.
What are the actions of Shí Wéi?
Promotes urination, relieves painful urinary dysfunction — Heat, Blood and stone; Clears Lung Heat, stops cough; Cools Blood, stops bleeding.
What is Shí Wéi used for?
Heat, Blood and stone painful urinary dysfunction; urinary blockage; wheezing and cough from Lung Heat; vomiting blood, nosebleed, blood in the urine and uterine bleeding.
Practise Shí Wéi 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.