Herb Seed (种子 zhǒng zǐ / 子 zǐ / 仁 rén)

Mu Hu Die

Indian trumpet flower seed · 木蝴蝶

Oroxylum indicum (L.) Vent. · Semen Oroxyli

Also known as: Qian Zhang Zhi (千张纸), Yu Hu Die (玉蝴蝶)

Mu Hu Die (Indian trumpet flower seed) plant

Images shown are for educational purposes only

Mu Hu Die is a delicate, butterfly-shaped seed best known for soothing sore throats, restoring a lost or hoarse voice, and calming coughs caused by heat in the Lungs. It also gently eases upper abdominal and flank pain related to stress and emotional tension. Commonly brewed as a simple tea, it is a go-to remedy for teachers, singers, and anyone dealing with throat irritation.

Category Herbs that relieve coughing and wheezing (止咳平喘药) Heat-clearing and throat-soothing herbs
Therapeutic focus Throat Health Respiratory Health Digestive Health Throat and Voice Care

TCM Properties

Temperature

Cool

Taste

Bitter (苦 kǔ), Sweet (甘 gān)

Channels entered

Lungs, Liver, Stomach

Parts used

Seed (种子 zhǒng zǐ / 子 zǐ / 仁 rén)

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What This Herb Does

Every herb has a specific set of actions — here's what Mu Hu Die does in the body, explained in both everyday and TCM terms

Therapeutic focus

In practical terms, Mu Hu Die is primarily used to support these areas of health:

Throat Health Respiratory Health Digestive Health Throat and Voice Care

TCM Actions

In TCM terminology, these are the specific therapeutic actions that Mu Hu Die performs to restore balance in the body:

Clears the Lungs and Benefits the Throat Harmonizes the Liver and Stomach Stops Cough Benefits the Throat and Restores the Voice Promotes Tissue Regeneration and Heals Sores

How these actions work

'Clears the Lungs and benefits the throat' means this herb cools down excessive heat in the Lung system that causes sore throat, swollen tonsils, and hoarseness. Its bitter taste helps drain heat downward, while its cool nature directly counteracts the inflammation. It is especially useful when a person has a hot, scratchy throat with voice loss after a cold or from overuse of the voice.

'Soothes the Liver and harmonizes the Stomach' refers to the herb's ability to gently ease the flow of Qi through the Liver and Stomach channels. When emotional stress causes Liver Qi to become stuck, it can invade the Stomach, producing pain in the flanks and upper abdomen, bloating, and poor appetite. Mu Hu Die's mild bitter and sweet flavours help relax this stagnation and restore comfortable digestion.

'Opens the voice' is one of this herb's most well-known uses. The throat is the gateway of the Lung, and when Lung Heat or Wind-Heat blocks it, the voice becomes raspy or lost entirely. Mu Hu Die's light, thin, papery quality gives it an ascending and dispersing nature that reaches the throat directly, helping to restore a clear voice.

'Promotes wound healing' applies to its external use. When ground into powder and applied to chronic non-healing sores or ulcers, Mu Hu Die can encourage the skin to close and regenerate.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony. Mu Hu Die is used to help correct these specific patterns.

Why Mu Hu Die addresses this pattern

Mu Hu Die is cool in nature and bitter in taste, giving it a direct heat-clearing action on the Lung channel. When pathogenic heat lodges in the Lungs, it scorches Lung fluids and constricts the throat, producing a hot, dry cough and sore, swollen throat. Mu Hu Die's cooling property clears this Lung Heat, while its light, ascending quality carries the herb's action upward to the throat and voice box, relieving inflammation and restoring the voice.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Sore Throat

Hot, dry sore throat with swelling

Hoarseness

Voice loss or hoarseness from Lung Heat

Hypochondrial Pain That Is Worse On Coughing And Breathing

Dry cough or cough with sticky yellow phlegm

Tonsillitis

Swollen, inflamed tonsils

Commonly Used For

These are conditions where Mu Hu Die is frequently used — but only when they arise from the specific patterns it addresses, not in all cases

Arises from: Lung Heat

TCM Interpretation

In TCM, chronic pharyngitis is most often understood as residual heat lingering in the Lung and throat area, sometimes combined with Yin deficiency that fails to moisten the throat. The Lung governs the throat, so when Lung Heat is not fully cleared after a cold or when dryness accumulates over time, the throat remains irritated, dry, and prone to a scratchy or burning sensation. In some cases, Liver Qi stagnation can also generate fire that rises to the throat, compounding the problem.

Why Mu Hu Die Helps

Mu Hu Die directly enters the Lung channel with its cool, bitter nature, clearing the residual heat that keeps the throat inflamed. Its sweet taste gently moistens without being cloying, helping to soothe the dry, irritated throat lining. It is commonly used as a simple tea (steeped with a small amount of the seed) or combined with Yin-nourishing herbs like Mài Dōng (Ophiopogon) and Shā Shēn (Adenophora root) for long-standing cases with dryness.

Also commonly used for

Sore Throat

Acute and chronic sore throat from heat patterns

Acute Meningitis

Acute throat inflammation from wind-heat

Laryngitis

Acute and chronic laryngitis with voice changes

Tonsillitis

Swollen and inflamed tonsils

Bronchitis

Acute and chronic bronchitis with cough

Hypochondrial Pain That Is Worse On Coughing And Breathing

Dry cough or cough from Lung Heat

Whooping Cough

Pertussis in children

Gastritis

Chronic gastritis from Liver Qi invading the Stomach

Herb Properties

Every herb has an inherent temperature, taste, and affinity for specific channels — these properties determine how it interacts with the body

Temperature

Cool

Taste

Bitter (苦 kǔ), Sweet (甘 gān)

Channels Entered

Lungs Liver Stomach

Parts Used

Seed (种子 zhǒng zǐ / 子 zǐ / 仁 rén)

Dosage & Preparation

These are general dosage guidelines for Mu Hu Die — always follow your practitioner's recommendation, as dosages vary based on the formula and your individual condition

Standard dosage

1.5–3g (in decoction); 6–9g when using larger pieces steeped as tea

Maximum dosage

Up to 9g in decoction for severe throat conditions, under practitioner guidance. Standard use rarely exceeds 3g due to the extremely light weight of the seeds.

Dosage notes

Because the seeds are extremely light and voluminous, even a small weight (1.5 to 3g) fills a significant volume. For throat conditions (sore throat, hoarseness, voice loss), the standard dose of 1.5 to 3g in decoction is typical, and it is often simply steeped in hot water as a tea. When taken as ground powder, 1.5 to 3g is used. For Liver-Stomach Qi pain, the classical method from the Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi involves dry-roasting 20 to 30 thin pieces until crisp, grinding to fine powder, and taking with warm wine. External use for non-healing sores involves applying the thin seed directly as a poultice over the wound.

Preparation

The seeds are extremely thin and light, so they should not be decocted for a long time or they will disintegrate. They are commonly steeped directly in boiling water as a tea rather than boiled in a full decoction. When included in a multi-herb decoction, add near the end of cooking (hou xia, 后下) to preserve the active constituents.

Processing Methods

In TCM, the same herb can be prepared in different ways to change its effects — here's how processing alters what Mu Hu Die does

Processing method

Stir-fried with salt water (approximately 10g salt dissolved in a small amount of water per 500g of herb) until the pieces turn light yellow.

How it changes properties

Salt-processing guides the herb's action downward toward the Kidneys, adding a mild ability to nourish Kidney Yin. The cool nature is preserved but the directional focus shifts. The throat-benefiting action is maintained, with the added benefit of addressing throat dryness rooted in Kidney Yin deficiency.

When to use this form

When chronic hoarseness or throat dryness is linked to underlying Kidney Yin deficiency rather than simple Lung Heat, such as in elderly patients with a persistent dry, scratchy throat and lower back weakness.

Common Herb Pairs

These ingredients are traditionally combined with Mu Hu Die for enhanced therapeutic effect

Pang Da Hai
Pang Da Hai Mu Hu Die 3g : Pang Da Hai 9g

Mu Hu Die clears Lung Heat and opens the voice, while Pang Da Hai (Sterculia seed) strongly opens and moistens the Lung and throat. Together they provide a powerful combination for clearing heat from the throat and restoring the voice, addressing both the heat and the dryness that cause hoarseness.

When to use: Acute or chronic hoarseness, voice loss, sore throat, and dry cough from Lung Heat or Wind-Heat. Commonly used as a simple tea for teachers, singers, and others who strain their voices.

Chan Tui
Chan Tui 1:1 (Mu Hu Die 3g : Chan Tui 3g)

Chan Tui (cicada slough) disperses Wind-Heat and opens the voice through its light, dispersing nature, while Mu Hu Die clears Lung Heat and soothes the throat. Together they address both the external Wind component and the internal Heat that cause acute voice loss and throat inflammation.

When to use: Acute hoarseness or voice loss following a wind-heat common cold, especially when the throat is swollen and the voice has become raspy or disappeared suddenly.

Xiang Fu
Xiang Fu Xiang Fu 6–9g : Mu Hu Die 3–6g

Xiang Fu (Cyperus rhizome) is a premier Qi-regulating herb for the Liver, while Mu Hu Die provides a milder Liver-soothing and Stomach-harmonizing action. Together they address Liver Qi stagnation causing epigastric and flank pain more effectively than either herb alone.

When to use: Liver-Stomach disharmony with epigastric distension, flank pain, irritability, and poor appetite triggered by emotional stress.

Jie Geng
Jie Geng Jie Geng 4.5g : Mu Hu Die 3g

Jie Geng (Platycodon root) is a classic 'boat herb' that directs other medicines upward to the throat and Lungs. When combined with Mu Hu Die, it amplifies the delivery of the cooling, throat-soothing action to the upper body, and adds its own expectorant effect to open the Lungs and expel phlegm.

When to use: Cough with sore throat and hoarseness, especially when phlegm is present alongside throat heat. Also used for voice loss accompanied by a productive cough.

Comparable Ingredients

These ingredients have overlapping uses — here's how to tell them apart

Pang Da Hai
Mu Hu Die vs Pang Da Hai

Both clear Lung Heat and benefit the throat, but Pang Da Hai is stronger at moistening dryness and promoting bowel movement (it also clears Large Intestine Heat), making it better for constipation with sore throat. Mu Hu Die has the additional ability to soothe the Liver and harmonize the Stomach, making it the better choice when throat problems coexist with Liver Qi stagnation or epigastric pain. Mu Hu Die can also be applied externally to non-healing sores, an action Pang Da Hai lacks.

Chan Tui
Mu Hu Die vs Chan Tui

Both are used for hoarseness and voice loss. Chan Tui is better when the cause is external Wind-Heat, as it excels at dispersing Wind and venting rashes. Mu Hu Die is more suited to Lung Heat patterns without a strong Wind component. Chan Tui also treats convulsions and itchy skin conditions, actions completely outside Mu Hu Die's scope. Mu Hu Die has Liver-soothing and Stomach-harmonizing actions that Chan Tui does not possess.

She Gan
Mu Hu Die vs She Gan

Both clear heat from the throat, but She Gan (Belamcanda rhizome) is bitter and cold, making it more powerful for severe throat swelling with copious phlegm. She Gan also resolves phlegm obstruction and is indicated for wheezing with phlegm. Mu Hu Die is milder and more suited for chronic, lingering throat irritation and voice loss, and it adds Liver-soothing and wound-healing actions that She Gan lacks.

Identity & Adulterants

Related species and common adulterations to be aware of when sourcing Mu Hu Die

Due to its distinctive papery, butterfly-shaped appearance, Mu Hu Die is relatively easy to identify and less commonly adulterated than many other herbs. However, quality can vary considerably based on storage conditions. Seeds that have absorbed moisture develop black spots and mould, significantly degrading quality. The name "Gu Zhi" (故纸) in some regional dialects can cause confusion with Bu Gu Zhi (补骨脂, Psoralea corylifolia fruit), which is a completely different herb with warm properties used for Kidney Yang deficiency. The two should never be confused or substituted for each other.

Educational content — always consult a qualified healthcare provider or TCM practitioner before using any herb.

Toxicity Classification

Classical Chinese pharmacopoeia toxicity rating for Mu Hu Die

Non-toxic

Mu Hu Die is classified as non-toxic in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and has a long history of safe use at standard doses. No toxic components have been identified in the seeds at therapeutic dosages. The seeds should be stored in a dry place, as they are prone to moulding or developing black spots when exposed to moisture, which could compromise quality and safety.

Contraindications

Situations where Mu Hu Die should not be used or requires extra caution

Caution

Spleen and Stomach deficiency cold (脾胃虚寒): People with cold-type digestive weakness, characterized by loose stools, poor appetite, and sensitivity to cold, should use this herb with caution because its cool nature may worsen these symptoms.

Caution

Lung cold with cough: When cough is caused by external cold or internal cold rather than heat, Mu Hu Die's cooling and heat-clearing properties are inappropriate and may aggravate the condition.

Caution

Yin deficiency without heat signs: In pure Yin deficiency without obvious heat, the bitter and cool nature of this herb may further damage Yin fluids without providing benefit.

Special Populations

Important considerations for pregnancy, breastfeeding, and pediatric use

Pregnancy

No specific contraindication during pregnancy is documented in classical or modern Chinese pharmacopoeia sources. However, as with most herbs, use during pregnancy should be guided by a qualified practitioner. The cool nature of the herb warrants caution in pregnant women with underlying Spleen-Stomach cold deficiency.

Breastfeeding

No specific concerns regarding breastfeeding have been documented in Chinese pharmacopoeia or materia medica references. The herb is mild in nature and used at low doses. Nevertheless, nursing mothers should consult a qualified practitioner before use.

Children

Mu Hu Die is mild and generally considered suitable for children at reduced doses. For sore throat and hoarseness in children, it is commonly used as a tea infusion at roughly half the adult dose or less, depending on age. A practitioner should determine appropriate dosage for young children.

Drug Interactions

If you are taking pharmaceutical medications, be aware of these potential interactions with Mu Hu Die

No well-documented pharmaceutical drug interactions have been established for Mu Hu Die seeds at standard therapeutic doses. The seeds contain flavonoids such as baicalein, chrysin, and oroxylin A, which have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity via NF-κB pathway inhibition in laboratory studies. Theoretically, concentrated extracts of these flavonoids could interact with anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive medications, but this has not been confirmed at the low doses used in traditional practice. As a general precaution, patients taking prescription medications should inform their healthcare provider before using this herb.

Dietary Advice

Foods and dietary considerations when taking Mu Hu Die

When using Mu Hu Die for throat or Lung heat conditions, avoid spicy, fried, and heavily seasoned foods that may aggravate heat in the throat. Favour cooling, moistening foods such as pears, white radish, and honey. When using for Liver-Stomach Qi pain, avoid alcohol and greasy foods that may worsen Liver Qi stagnation and Stomach disharmony.

Botanical Description

Physical characteristics and morphology of the Mu Hu Die source plant

Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz is a medium-sized deciduous tree in the Bignoniaceae (trumpet vine) family, typically growing 7 to 12 metres tall, though specimens can reach up to 27 metres. The trunk has thick, greyish-brown bark with prominent corky lenticels. The tree is sparsely branched, with enormous compound leaves clustered near the top of the trunk. These leaves are among the largest of any dicotyledonous tree, reaching 60 to 160 cm in length, and are 2- to 4-times pinnately divided with numerous triangular-ovate leaflets (6 to 14 cm long). The flowers are striking, with purple bell-shaped calyces and fleshy orange-red tubular corollas up to 9 cm long, borne on large terminal clusters. Flowering occurs from July to October.

The fruit is a flat, woody capsule (pod) that hangs downward from the tree like a sword or boat, reaching an impressive 40 to 120 cm in length and 5 to 8.5 cm wide. When mature (October to February), the pods turn brownish-yellow and split open along one seam, releasing numerous seeds. Each seed is surrounded by a broad, papery, translucent wing, giving it the appearance of a white butterfly in flight, which is the origin of the Chinese name "wood butterfly" (木蝴蝶). The tree grows in tropical and subtropical forests, valleys, streamsides, and hillsides, generally below 1,000 metres elevation. It prefers warm, moist climates and tolerates poor soils.

Sourcing & Harvesting

Where Mu Hu Die is sourced, when it's harvested or collected, and how to assess quality

Harvesting season

Autumn and winter (October to December), when the fruits have fully matured and the pods begin to split open.

Primary growing regions

The primary medicinal production regions are Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou provinces in southern China. It is also found in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, and Sichuan. Yunnan (particularly the Jinsha River dry-hot valley region) is considered the most traditional source area, reflecting its earliest documentation in the Yunnan-based text Dian Nan Ben Cao. The tree also grows widely across Southeast Asia, India, and the Himalayan foothills, though these regions supply different traditional medicine systems (Ayurveda) rather than the Chinese herbal market.

Quality indicators

Good quality Mu Hu Die seeds are butterfly-shaped thin slices, 5 to 8 cm long and 3.5 to 4.5 cm wide. The surface should be pale yellowish-white, with the wing portions semi-transparent and displaying a silky lustre with clearly visible radiating lines. The body should be extremely light. When the seed coat is peeled away, two butterfly-shaped cotyledons should be visible, yellowish-green or yellow in colour, about 1 to 1.5 cm across. The herb should have little or no smell and a slightly bitter taste. Avoid material that shows black spots or mould (signs of moisture damage), is heavily fragmented, or has lost its translucency and silky sheen.

Classical Texts

Key passages from the classical Chinese medical texts that describe Mu Hu Die and its therapeutic uses

《滇南本草》(Diān Nán Běn Cǎo, by Lán Mào, Ming Dynasty, 1436)

Chinese: 定喘，消痰，破蛊积，除血蛊、气蛊之毒。又能补虚，宽中，进食。

English: Calms wheezing, resolves phlegm, breaks up gu accumulations, eliminates the toxins of blood-gu and Qi-gu. Also supplements deficiency, relaxes the middle, and promotes appetite.

《滇南本草》(Diān Nán Běn Cǎo) — additional passage

Chinese: 治一切喉火上炎，大头瘟症，能解湿热、春温，生津止渴，利痰，解鱼毒、积滞。

English: Treats all throat conditions caused by fire flaring upward, epidemic warm disease with head swelling, resolves damp-heat and spring-warmth disorders, generates fluids and stops thirst, benefits phlegm, and resolves fish toxicity and food stagnation.

《本草纲目拾遗》(Běn Cǎo Gāng Mù Shí Yí, by Zhào Xuémǐn, Qing Dynasty)

Chinese: 治心气痛，肝气痛，下部湿热。又项秋子云，凡痈毒不收口，以此贴之。

English: Treats Heart-Qi pain and Liver-Qi pain, and damp-heat in the lower body. Also, Xiang Qiuzi says: for any toxic abscess that will not close, apply this [herb] as a poultice.

《岭南采药录》(Lǐng Nán Cǎi Yào Lù)

Chinese: 消痰火，除眼热。

English: Resolves phlegm-fire, clears eye heat.

《本草害利》(Běn Cǎo Hài Lì)

Chinese: 气味淡薄，与病无害。治肝气，诸书不载，近多用之。盖取木喜疏，蝴蝶善动之意尔。

English: Its flavour is mild and thin, and causes no harm. It treats Liver Qi stagnation, which earlier texts do not record, but it is now widely used for this purpose. The reasoning is drawn from the idea that wood (mu) delights in free flow, and butterflies (hu die) are good at movement.

Historical Context

The history and evolution of Mu Hu Die's use in Chinese medicine over the centuries

Mu Hu Die was first recorded as a medicine under the name "Thousand Sheets of Paper" (千张纸, Qiān Zhāng Zhǐ) in the Dian Nan Ben Cao (《滇南本草》), written by the Ming Dynasty scholar Lan Mao in 1436. This text predates Li Shizhen's famous Ben Cao Gang Mu by over 140 years and is China's earliest regional herbal compendium, focused on Yunnan medicinal plants. The herb was later included in the Qing Dynasty work Ben Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi (《本草纲目拾遗》) by Zhao Xuemin, which expanded its indications to include Liver Qi pain and topical use for non-healing sores. It has been included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia since its 1963 edition.

The name "Mu Hu Die" (木蝴蝶, literally "wood butterfly") is wonderfully descriptive: the dried seeds are thin, translucent, papery discs with delicate wing-like extensions that closely resemble a white butterfly in flight. This same visual quality inspired many of its folk names, including "Jade Butterfly" (玉蝴蝶, Yu Hu Die), "Thousand Sheets of Paper" (千张纸), and "Fly Across the Sky" (满天飞). The Ben Cao Hai Li offers an elegant theoretical justification for the herb's Liver-coursing action: "Wood delights in free flow, and butterflies are good at movement" (木喜疏，蝴蝶善动). In ethnomedicine, it is also used in Tibetan medicine (as "Zanba Ga") and Mongolian medicine for throat and stomach disorders.

Modern Research

4 published studies investigating the pharmacological effects or clinical outcomes of Mu Hu Die

1

Systematic review: Biological activities and therapeutic potentials of baicalein from Oroxylum indicum (2020)

Nik Salleh NNH, Othman FA, Kamarudin NA, Tan SC. Molecules. 2020;25(23):5677.

This systematic review examined 20 in vivo and in vitro studies on baicalein isolated from O. indicum. It found evidence supporting anti-cancer, antibacterial, blood sugar-lowering, neurogenesis-promoting, heart-protective, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing effects. The authors noted a scarcity of human clinical trials and recommended further clinical research.

2

NF-κB signaling inhibitors from Oroxylum indicum stem bark flavonoids (2015)

Tran TV, Malainer C, Schwaiger S, et al. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;159:36-42.

This study screened Vietnamese medicinal plants for anti-inflammatory NF-κB pathway inhibitors. Four flavonoids isolated from O. indicum (hispidulin, baicalein, chrysin, and oroxylin A) were identified as NF-κB activation inhibitors, with oroxylin A being the most potent (IC50 = 3.9 μM). This provides a pharmacological basis for the herb's traditional anti-inflammatory and throat-soothing uses.

3

Systematic review of evidence-based health benefits and functional food potential of Oroxylum indicum (2025)

Foods. 2025;14(20):3465.

This comprehensive PRISMA-based systematic review synthesized 185 articles from 2010 to 2025. It confirmed that the key bioactive flavonoids (baicalein, baicalin, chrysin, oroxylin A, oroxin A, oroxin B) are consistently associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anticancer, and cardioprotective activities, though human clinical data remains limited.

4

Phenolic compounds from Oroxylum indicum bark activate the Ngn2 promoter for neuronal differentiation (2015)

Fuentes RG, Arai MA, Ishibashi M. J Nat Prod. 2015;78(11):2768-73.

Using an activity-guided approach, researchers isolated seven phenolic compounds from O. indicum bark. Oroxylin A and chrysin induced a 2.7-fold increase in neurogenin 2 (Ngn2) promoter activity and enhanced neuronal differentiation of multipotent stem cells, suggesting potential neuroprotective applications.

PubMed

Research on individual TCM herbs is growing but still limited by Western clinical trial standards. These studies provide emerging evidence and should be considered alongside practitioner expertise.