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Dan Zhu Ye淡竹叶

Lophatheri Herba · Lophatherum Stem and Leaf · Bamboo Leaf Herb

Herbs that Clear Heat 清热药《神农本草经》

Overview

A light, grassy herb — despite the name, it is Lophatherum, not the leaf of true bamboo. Sweet, bland and cold, it drains heat from the Heart and Stomach and leads it out below through the urine, which makes it the herb of choice when heat shows up simultaneously as mouth sores above and scanty, burning urine below.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet, bland · Cold

Channels

Heart · Stomach · Small Intestine

Typical Dosage

6–9 g in decoction
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Actions

3 core actions

  • Drains heat and eases irritabilityFever with restlessness and thirst; residual heat that lingers after a febrile illness.
  • Generates fluids and stops thirstA dry mouth and thirst when heat has consumed fluids.
  • Promotes urination, frees painful urinationScanty dark urine with burning, and mouth or tongue sores from Heart heat passing down to the Small Intestine.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Dan Zhu Ye

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Fever with irritability and thirst
    - Mouth and tongue ulcers from Heart heat
    - Scanty, dark, burning urination
    - Lingering low-grade heat after illness

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Urinary tract infectionMouth ulcersFeverCystitis

Contraindications

Cautions

Cold and diuretic: not for deficiency cold, for copious clear urine, or where there is no real heat to clear. Do not confuse it with Zhu Ye, the leaf of true bamboo — a different herb with a different emphasis, though the two are often substituted for one another.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Use with caution in pregnancy — it is cold and promotes urination.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Ben Cao Gang Mu《本草纲目》(1578, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.