Lemna, Duckweed, Fu Ping 浮萍

Lens palustris, Lens lacustris, L. aquatica, Muscus palustris
Fu Ping (TCM)

Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491

Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578

Kreutterbuch, Matthiolus, 1586

4 different varieties of Duckweed (Lemna)
Lindman, Bilder ur Nordens Flora, vol. 2 (1922-1926)

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Botanical name:
Lemna spp., including L. minor
There are a number of types of Duckweed
TCM uses the related Spirodela polyrrhiza and others,
and in some parts, Lemna species (incl. L. minor) are used.

Parts used:
Dried herb

Temperature & Taste:
Cool, dry. Pungent

L. minor
Flora von Deutschland, Kohler, 1886

Uses:
1. Clears Wind-Heat, Promotes Sweat:
-acute wind-heat cold / flu with fever, headache, body aches
-acute Heat diseases and Fevers (Lonicerus)
-Rhinitis, Pharyngitis

2. Clears Heat, Promotes the Expression of Rashes
-promotes expression of Rashes such as Measles (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)
-wind-heat Itching

3. Clears Heat, Promotes Urine:
-Edema with Oliguria (Chinese Pharmacopoeia)

4. Externally:
-applied to hot inflammations and tumors (Lonicerus)
-Boils, Carbuncles
-Nasal Polyps
-burned to drive away Mosquitoes. (Bensky)

DOSE:
it can be taken as a solo medicine to clear Heat and promote Sweat.
3–9 grams in decoction; 1–3 grams in powder.

NOTE:
1. This is an especially effective cooling herb to promote Sweating. Ancient TCM practitioners claimed it more effective than Ephedra Ma Huang to promote sweat.
2. Ashes contain iodine and bromine.

Main Combinations:
1. Acute Wind-Heat cold or flu, combine with Peppermint (Bo He), Cicada slough (Chan Tui), Forsythia Lian Qiao
2. Beginning stages of Measles or other Eruptive Fevers, with Peppermint (Bo He), Burdock seed (Niu Bang Zi)

Cautions:
1. Not used in deficient conditions, especially with spontaneous sweating.

Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water