Kuan Dong Hua - 款冬花 - Flos Farfarae

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Flos Farfarae
Common English:	Coltsfoot Flower Tussilago Flower

Category

Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing: Herbs that Relieve Cough and Wheezing (Anti-Asthmatics)

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Acrid (Sweet)	Warm (Lukewarm)	Lung (Heart)	4.5-10g Tincture: 2-4ml

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Descends Qi, Moistens the Lungs, Stops coughing, Transforms Phlegm	Coughing and wheezing of various etiologies (usually due to Cold)

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Rx. Asteris Zi Wan	Sm. Armeniacae Xing Ren	Fr. Schisandrae Wu Wei Zi Rz. Pinelliae Preparatum Zhi Ban Xia
Coughing with difficult-to-expectorate sputum.	Coughing and wheezing due to Phlegm Obstruction.	Cough and wheezing due to congested fluids. (thin mucus)
Rz. Cynanchi Stauntonii Bai Qian	Bul. Lilii Bai He	Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Fol. Mori Sang Ye
Cough due to Obstruction of Qi and Phlegm.	Chronic dry cough or Yin Deficiency cough with bloody sputum.	Cough due to Wind-Heat Attacking the Lung.
Rx. Asteris Zi Wan Mel Feng Mi	Rz. Anemarrhenae Zhi Mu Fol. Mori Sang Ye Bul. Fritillariae Thunbergii Zhe Bei Mu Sm. Armeniacae Xing Ren
Cough from Lung consumption with Blood in the sputum or dry cough from Lung Deficiency.	Cough due to Wind-Heat Attacking the Lung and Lung Heat.

Notes

1. Large doses can lead to syncope and apnea.
2. Its most frequent uses are Lung abscess, smoker’s cough, and chronic asthma or bronchitis.
3. As a decoction, it can serve as an eye wash for red or inflamed eyes.
4. It works well for externally contracted coughs.
5. According to some sources, this herb is warm without being drying and mildly moistens the Lungs, so it suits any kind of cough, whether hot, cold, acute or chronic. It is also usable for Wind-Heat Attacking the Lungs.
6. It is frequently paired with Rx. Asteris Tataricae Zi Wan, which expels Phlegm, while Kuan Dong Hua stops cough. Zi Wan is pungent and dry and suits Cold-induced cough, whereas Kuan Dong Hua cools and moistens and suits dry cough.
7. Honey-prepared Tussilago Flower Mi Zhi Kuan Dong Hua moistens the Lungs and relieves cough more strongly, and it is suitable for cough or wheezing from Lung Deficiency and, with suitable additional herbs, for cough from Lung Yin Deficiency.
8. Dry-fried Tussilago Flower Chao Kuan Dong Hua is less acrid and dispersing, making it better for dry cough from Qi or Yin Deficiency. It is not as effective as Mi Zhi Kuan Dong Hua.
9. Its action of directing Qi downward is stronger than its action of transforming Phlegm.