Fu Ping - 浮萍 - Herba Spirodelae

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Herba Spirodelae
Common English:	Duckweed Spirodela

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid	Cool (Cold)	Bladder Lung	3-10g Severe cases: 9-20g Tincture: 2-4ml

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Induces sweating and releases the exterior (unblocks the muscle layer)	Wind-Heat with body aches and anhidrosis
Vents rashes and relieves itching	Hastens the full expression of measles or other rashes to hasten the resolution of the disease Wind rash
Promotes urination and reduces swelling	Hot superficial edema (primarily in the upper body with urinary difficulty)

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Contraindicated for those with any condition with profuse sweating, including Wei Qi Deficiency or Blood Deficiency or Qi Deficiency.
Contraindicated for those with night sweats, and/or thirst and dry mouth from Yin Deficiency.
Use with caution for those with edema due to Yang Deficiency.
Use caution in mild cases.

INCOMPATIBILITIES

HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

Hb. Schizonepetae Jing Jie Hb. Menthae Haplocalycis Bo He (Fr. Forsythiae) (Lian Qiao)	Fr. Tribuli Bai Ji Li Fr. Arctii Niu Bang Zi Hb. Menthae Haplocalycis Bo He	Hb. Menthae Haplocalycis Bo He Periostracum Cicadae Chan Tui Rz. Cimicifugae Sheng Ma (Fr. Arctii) (Niu Bang Zi)
Wind-Heat with fever and lack of sweat.	Wind-Heat fever and headache.	Measles and Wind rash without full expression of the rash.
Hb. Menthae Haplocalycis Bo He Fr. Arctii Niu Bang Zi	Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang	Rx. Trichosanthis Tian Hua Fen
Measles and Wind rash without full expression of the rash. Itching.	Wind-Edema patterns with swollen face, urinary difficulty and anhidrosis.	Wind-Heat with thirst.

It is one of only a few cold herbs that act as strong diaphoretics.
On occasion it is used alone.
It disseminates Lung Qi.
It opens the pores to bring out sweat.
According to some sources, it dispels Wind-Damp, clears Heat and removes toxins.
It induces sweating more strongly than Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang and drains water downward more effectively than Medulla Tetrapanacis Tong Cao.
It should be used only when there is severe Excess and great Heat.
It is suited to itching from Damp-Heat with absence of sweat, rather than to Wind-Cold with absence of sweat.
Fu Ping and Hb. Ephedrae Ma Huang both open the pores and unblock the fluid passageways, inducing sweat and promoting urination, so they can treat fever without sweating, urinary difficulty and edema. Fu Ping, acrid and cold, is the best choice for exterior Wind-Heat without sweating. It also promotes urination in edema or Damp-Heat and expels Wind to clear rashes and relieve itching, but it does not ease cough or wheezing. Ma Huang, acrid and warm, is the best choice for exterior Wind-Cold patterns without sweating, and it also controls wheezing and stops cough.