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Cura x Cura

Pang Da Hai胖大海

Sterculiae Lychnophorae Semen · Boat-fruited Sterculia Seed · Malva Nut

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing 化痰止咳平喘药《本草纲目拾遗》

Overview

The seed of a Southeast Asian sterculia, which swells into a spongy mass many times its own size the moment it meets hot water. Sweet and cold, entering the Lung and Large Intestine, it clears Lung heat, soothes a raw throat and brings back a lost voice, and moistens a dry stool on the way out. It is steeped rather than decocted — two or three seeds in hot water.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet · Cold

Channels

Lung · Large Intestine

Typical Dosage

2–6 g (about two or three seeds), steeped in hot water rather than decocted
胖大海Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

2 core actions

  • Clears the Lung, benefits the throat, restores the voiceHoarseness, a dry scratchy sore throat and dry cough where Lung heat is the cause — the reason it is a staple of teachers' and singers' throat teas.
  • Moistens the intestines, moves the stoolDry constipation with heat, especially when it appears together with the throat and cough signs above.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Pang Da Hai

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

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Hoarseness or loss of voice from Lung heat
    - Dry, scratchy sore throat
    - Dry cough with scant sputum
    - Constipation from dryness with heat

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

HoarsenessPharyngitisDry coughConstipation

Contraindications

Cautions

Cold and mildly purgative: loose stool, poor appetite and Spleen-deficiency cold are reasons not to use it, and it is not meant to be drunk as a daily tea over long stretches. Hoarseness that comes from qi or yin deficiency rather than heat will not respond. Not toxic.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction — practitioner judgment applies, though its cold and laxative character makes sustained use during pregnancy unwise

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi《本草纲目拾遗》(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.