Arenaria, A krong ཨ་ཀྲོང༌

A krong (Tibetan)
Arenaria kansuensis: A krong dkar po (Tibetan)
Xue Ling Zhi (TCM)

Royle, J.F., Illustrations of the botany and other branches of the natural
history of the Himalayan Mountains and of the flora of Cashmere, 1839

Botanical name:

Arenaria festucoides
Other plants apparently used for A krong include:

Arenaria kansuensis (Gansu Sandwort, A krong dkar po; called Xue Ling Zhi or Gan Su Zao Shui in TCM) and A. juncea (Thyme-leaved Sandwort, Zao Zhui) are used similarly.
White variety: Artemisia minor (leafy stems)
Black variety: Artemisia spice, A. hedinii

Parts used:

Whole plant

Temperature & Taste:

Cool, sweet

Uses:

1. Nourishes Lungs, Clears Heat, Stops Cough: (Tibet)

-acute Sore Throat, Laryngitis
-Cough, Bronchitis with yellow phlegm
-persistent Cough with hard to clear sputum
-Fever, shortness of Breath with upper back pain with red cheeks and tongue
-Lung abscess (Arenaria kansuensis A krong dkar po is best for this function)
-Penumonia, Tuberculosis

2. Nourishes Kidney, Strengthens Bones: (TCM)

-lower back pain from Kidney weakness
-also nourishes Blood

3. Clears Damp-Heat:

-Jaundice
-Turbid Urine, Strangury
-Diarrhea, Dysentery
-auxiliary for Wind-Damp pain

Dose:

3–5 grams

Comment:

1. Stellaria palustris & Gypsophila dahurica have been listed as alternate sources of A khrong
2. Benksy lists Arenaria and Gypsophila spp. as adulterants of Stellaria Yin Chai Hu
3. Gypsophila pacifica (Shan Yin Chai Hu) is an equivalent of Arenaria juncea (Lao Niu Jin) and Silene jenisseensis (Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine)
4. The above Suggests Arenaria, Gypsophila and Stellaria may have similar functions.

Substitute:

1. Platycodon Jie Geng
2. Adenophora Sha Shen to nourish Lung Yin
3. Gypsophila
4. Thalictrum squamiferum has been listed as an alternate source (Kletter)

Main Combinations:

1. Lung heat Cough with Fever, chest Pain, Breathlessness and Hemoptysis:
i. Arenaria with White Sandalwood, Tabasheer, Swertia, Chebula, Raisins, Rhodiola, Licorice (as in Principle 25 of Tibetan Medicine)
ii. Arenaria with Tabasheer, Safflower, Clove, Licorice, Raisins, Sandalwood, Triphala, Sea Buckthorn (as in Tabasheer 25)

Major Formulas:

Principle 25 (Gtso bo nyer lnga) (Tibetan Medicine)

Cautions:

None noted

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