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Mai Men Dong麦门冬

Ophiopogonis Radix · Ophiopogon Tuber · Dwarf Lilyturf Root

Herbs that Tonify the Yin 补阴药Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing 《神农本草经》

Overview

The small, spindle-shaped tuber of dwarf lilyturf — sweet, slightly bitter and slightly cold, and the everyday answer to dryness in the upper body. It moistens the Lung for a dry unproductive cough, generates fluids for the parched mouth left behind by a febrile illness, and clears the low, restless heat that keeps a person awake at night. The dispensary also stocks a honey-prepared form (Mai Men Dong Zhi Mai Men Dong), which is gentler on the Stomach and slightly more moistening and Lung-directed; a prescription means the plain tuber unless it says otherwise.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet, slightly bitter · Slightly cold

Channels

Lung · Stomach · Heart

Typical Dosage

6–15 g in decoction
麦门冬Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

4 core actions

  • Moistens the Lung, stops dry coughDry hacking cough with little or no sputum, a dry sore throat, hoarseness, blood-streaked sputum from Lung dryness.
  • Nourishes Stomach yin, generates fluidsDry mouth and thirst, a red tongue with little or peeled coating, poor appetite after a febrile illness, dry constipation.
  • Clears Heart heat, calms restlessnessIrritability, restless broken sleep and a hot feeling in the chest and palms on a background of yin deficiency.
  • Honey-prepared form Mai Men DongHoney-frying softens the cold and adds sweetness: gentler on a weak Stomach and slightly more moistening for the Lung, so it is favoured in lingering dry coughs. The plain tuber remains the general-purpose form.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Mai Men Dong

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Dry cough with scanty sputum; hoarseness and a dry throat
    - Thirst and a dry mouth after a febrile illness
    - Poor appetite with a dry, peeled tongue
    - Dry constipation
    - Restlessness and broken sleep from yin deficiency

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

Dry coughXerostomiaConvalescenceInsomniaConstipation

Contraindications

Cautions

Sweet, moist and slightly cold, so it is the wrong herb for a wind-cold cough, for phlegm-damp with a thick greasy tongue coating, and for a cold weak Spleen with loose stools — in those pictures it deepens the fullness and softens the stool further. By classical convention it is not paired with Kuan Dong Hua 款冬花. Our dispensary data flags no toxicity and no allergy risk.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction — practitioner judgment applies

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》 (classical source, 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.