Dalbergia odorifera T.C.Chen is a species accepted by Kew in the legume family Fabaceae. Kew gives its native range as Fujian and Zhejiang to Hainan Island in China and places it in the subtropical biome. The Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden describes a semi-deciduous tree that prefers light, tolerates some drought, and does not tolerate waterlogging; it has been planted in several southern Chinese provinces. Common names such as fragrant rosewood, Jiangxiang, and huanghuali vary across local and commercial usage. Many Dalbergia species have aromatic wood, pinnate leaves, and similar flat pods, so a trade label or wood colour is not enough for identification. A scientific label, documented seedling provenance, and a voucher checked by a qualified botanist are needed.

The medicinal part has a precise boundary. Shennong Alpha’s record of the 2020 Chinese Pharmacopoeia defines Jiangxiang as dried heartwood from the trunk and roots of D. odorifera; sapwood is removed, the material is air-dried, then split or sliced. Kew’s Medicinal Plant Names Services also links Jiangxiang to this exact species and heartwood. Furniture timber, research essential oil, sawdust, and processed materia medica are different product forms; evidence for one form cannot automatically be transferred to another.

The project’s CITES dataset contains one 2023 comparative row for D. odorifera: Appendix II, trade term medicine, reported purpose T (commercial), quantity 2 kg, China as reported exporter to Malaysia, and source code D. This is one reported row, not the total number of global shipments or an authenticated consignment. CITES defines code D under a specific provision for artificially propagated Appendix-I plants exported commercially; the appearance of that code alongside this species and Appendix II should be interpreted in the reporting context, not treated as a permit or proof of verified origin. All images on this page are AI study illustrations, not herbarium vouchers or identification evidence.

In Chinese traditional medicine, Jiangxiang (降香) is the materia-medica name associated with the heartwood of D. odorifera. Shennong Alpha’s English rendering of the 2020 Chinese Pharmacopoeia records a pungent flavour and warm nature, entry into the Liver and Spleen channels, and traditional actions described as moving qi and blood, stopping bleeding, and relieving pain. Indications transcribed from that monograph include certain bleeding presentations, hypochondriac or chest pain, traumatic pain, vomiting, and abdominal pain. These are descriptions within a traditional medical system, not conclusions from modern clinical trials.

Historical disease terms and pattern diagnoses do not map one-to-one onto current medical diagnoses. This page preserves them as context rather than self-treatment advice for bleeding, chest pain, or abdominal pain; those symptoms may require urgent medical care. A 2020 scientific review describes the history of D. odorifera use in China in terms of dispelling blood stasis, regulating qi, and relieving pain, while noting that mechanisms, quality control, and standardization remain incomplete.

Not every wood sold as “fragrant wood,” “rosewood,” or “huanghuali” is medicinal Jiangxiang. Botanical records, drug monographs, and trade documents answer different questions: traditional literature records historical use; a pharmacopoeia defines the material, part, and product standard; CITES records reported trade and does not establish therapeutic action.

Modern research on D. odorifera includes heartwood chemistry, essential oils, and preclinical assays. A 2020 Journal of Ethnopharmacology review summarizes investigated pharmacological activities but concludes that mechanisms still require clarification and that quality-control research is limited. An open study of heartwood formation reports volatile compounds and flavonoids in the heartwood; formation is slow and varies with tree age, growing conditions, and tissue damage. Findings from an extract, an oil profile, or a cell model do not show that a piece of wood, sawdust, or retail product treats disease in people.

A pharmacopoeia provides a material identity and quality standard within its regulatory scope; that is not the same as proof of a therapeutic effect from a well-designed clinical trial. CITES data answer whether a reportable trade record appears under a selected query, not whether the product has pharmacological activity. When reading a study, check how the species was authenticated, which plant part was used, the extraction solvent, the experimental concentration, whether controls were included, and whether the result was replicated.

This profile does not conclude that Jiangxiang treats cardiovascular disease, bleeding, pain, inflammation, or any other condition. Clinical claims would require appropriate human trials using a standardized preparation, a suitable sample and outcome, and adverse-event monitoring. The sources reviewed do not provide a basis for self-treatment or replacing prescribed care.

The references reviewed do not provide a complete human toxicology profile, a universally safe maximum dose, or a comprehensive interaction assessment for D. odorifera heartwood. Do not ingest, chew, burn for inhalation, or prepare oil or powder at home from unidentified wood. Medicinal heartwood should come from a traceable supplier and meet the applicable standard; commercial wood may be dyed, treated, mixed with another species, or contaminated by dust and processing chemicals.

No linked source reviewed here confirms a specific herb pairing that creates a toxic substance with Jiangxiang. This means that a particular pairing was not verified; it does not prove every combination is safe. Do not invent a ratio between Jiangxiang and another herb: an amount in a formula is meaningful only for that exact formula, material, purpose, and source. Shennong Alpha’s translated pharmacopoeia record lists 9–15 g in its monograph context; this is not an individualized recommendation, not a direction to self-decoct, and not transferable to essential oil, sawdust, or products of unknown quality.

People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children, people with liver or kidney disease, bleeding disorders, Fabaceae allergy, or those taking medicines should consult a physician or pharmacist before considering any herbal product. A monograph does not replace individual professional assessment. Chest pain, uncontrolled bleeding, vomiting blood, severe abdominal pain, or pain after trauma needs prompt medical evaluation; do not delay care to try a herb.

The reviewed references describe traditional actions for Jiangxiang as a single materia medica, but no clearly sourced multi-herb prescription with ingredients and amounts was verified for this page. It therefore does not pair Jiangxiang with Salvia miltiorrhiza, Ligusticum chuanxiong, or another herb, claim a synergistic benefit, or invent a mixing ratio. The heartwood image above illustrates the material under discussion; it is not a component photograph from a documented formula.

No reliable source in this reference set confirms a particular herb as incompatible with Jiangxiang or as becoming poisonous when taken together. The absence of a recorded pairing does not rule out interactions: risk may depend on prescription medicines, underlying conditions, wood quality, extract type, and dose. A combination should be listed only when the original source identifies the materia medica, plant part, quantity, preparation, and reference; otherwise it remains unverified rather than becoming an invented recipe.

Pinnate leaves with multiple leaflets, small legume-type flowers, and thin flattened pods are clues to Dalbergia. They do not diagnose D. odorifera because congeners can look similar. Aromatic wood is likewise not a substitute for wood anatomy, a voucher, or chemical authentication.