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Mu Ding Xiang母丁香

Caryophylli Fructus · Clove Fruit · Mother Clove

Herbs that Warm the Interior 温里药

Overview

Appended to Ding Xiang 丁香 in the textbook: the ripe fruit of the same clove tree, whose flower bud is the familiar. Acrid and warm, it warms the middle burner, directs rebellious Stomach qi downward and assists Kidney yang, along the same lines as the bud but more gently and with a weaker anti-emetic effect — the bud is preferred when hiccup and vomiting are the reason for prescribing.

Nature & Flavor

Acrid · Warm

Channels

Spleen · Stomach · Lung · Kidney

Typical Dosage

1–3 g in decoction
母丁香Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

3 core actions

  • Warms the middle, directs qi downwardCold in the Stomach with hiccup, belching and vomiting of clear fluid; poor appetite with cold abdominal pain.
  • Disperses cold, stops painCold epigastric and abdominal pain that eases with warmth and pressure.
  • Warms the Kidney, assists yangKidney yang deficiency with impotence, and cold-damp vaginal discharge.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Mu Ding Xiang

No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Cold Stomach with hiccup, belching and vomiting
    - Cold epigastric and abdominal pain
    - Poor appetite from cold in the middle burner
    - Kidney yang deficiency with impotence or cold-damp discharge

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

HiccupNauseaFunctional dyspepsiaErectile dysfunction

Contraindications

Cautions

Classical incompatibility: clove — the bud and this fruit alike — is not combined with Yu Jin 郁金. Warm and drying, it is contraindicated in heat patterns and in yin deficiency with internal heat. Keep to the 1–3 g range. Clove essential oil is a different preparation entirely: undiluted, it irritates and can burn mucous membranes, and it is not interchangeable with the crude herb.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Warming and qi-moving; not established as safe in pregnancy — use only under the direction of the treating practitioner.

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Appended to Ding Xiang 丁香 in 《中药学》(新世纪第二版).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》(2020 edition).
    4. 《中药学》(新世纪第二版), chapter on herbs that warm the interior.

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.