Prepared aconite daughter root · Fu Zi
Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. · Pharmacopoeially processed lateral root
Name and part used
Monkshood has palmately divided leaves and blue-purple hooded flowers; Fu Zi is a processed lateral root, never the raw root.
Traditional context
Fu Zi is a processed product of Aconitum carmichaelii lateral roots. Aconitine alkaloids can cause arrhythmias, numbness, hypotension, and death. Study only; never harvest, taste, decoct, or process it yourself.
Modern evidence
Yang-warming and cold-dispersing are historical claims. There is no safe home-use method; suspected poisoning is an emergency.
Safety
HIGHLY TOXIC raw or improperly processed. Only licensed standardized products under direct qualified supervision; never combine casually with heart, blood-pressure, or antiarrhythmic medicines.
Pairing in reference texts
Historical formulas pair processed Fu Zi with licorice or dried ginger. Interactions, contraindications, and processing are stringent; recording a formula is not a recommendation.
Growing, care, and harvest timing
HKBU habitat record: Growing on grassy hillslopes or thickets. Mainly cultivated in Sichuan. Distributed in Liaoning, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan and etc. Mainly cultivated in Sichuan Harvest and processing as recorded: Excavated in late June to early August, removed aboveground stem leaves, and leave rhizome after picked daughter roots and removed fibrous roots and soil and sun-dried
Source-recorded harvest/processing: Excavated in late June to early August, removed aboveground stem leaves, and leave rhizome after picked daughter roots and removed fibrous roots and soil and sun-dried
The reviewed source does not provide a complete species-specific sowing/growing routine, irrigation/fertilization schedule, or universal plant age. The page therefore does not infer care instructions or years to harvest; consult local cultivation guidance.
Open habitat and season source ↗FROM PLANT / SOURCE HABITAT TO DRIED MATERIAL · REFERENCE WORKFLOW
- Aconitum lateral roots are harvested from correctly identified cultivated stock; raw plants are highly toxic and must not be collected or tasted.
- Detoxification is pharmacopoeial processing restricted to licensed facilities; this site provides no recipe, time, temperature, or home method.
- Facilities test alkaloids, uniformity, and lot quality; processing deviations can cause life-threatening cardiac poisoning.
- Release only compliant labeled, traceable products under a qualified prescriber; store securely.
These are post-harvest study notes, not directions to prepare a remedy for self-treatment. Processing reference ↗
Traditional contraindication pairs in the “18 incompatibilities” appendix
The Beijing Municipal Drug Administration appendix lists the pairs below as traditional incompatibilities. This does not establish that every exposure causes poisoning; the appendix provides no safe ratio. Do not combine them yourself, even if an old formula is cited elsewhere.
How to read formula amounts
Displayed amounts belong to the cited formula and source; they are not a general safe ratio, treatment dose, or home-decoction instruction. Do not transfer amounts to another formula or adjust them by body weight.
Habitat, season, and harvest in the HKBU botanical record
HKBU botanical record (translated summary): Flowering and fruiting dates: Flowering: August to September; fruiting: September to October Habitat and distribution: Growing on grassy hillslopes or thickets. Mainly cultivated in Sichuan. Distributed in Liaoning, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Gansu, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan and etc. Mainly cultivated in Sichuan Harvest and processing as recorded: Excavated in late June to early August, removed aboveground stem leaves, and leave rhizome after picked daughter roots and removed fibrous roots and soil and sun-dried
Open botanical source ↗HKBU formula record containing this herb: Ma Huang Fu Zi Xi Xin Tang / Ephedra, Aconite and Asarum Decoction
Traditional action in the source: Assists yang to release the exterior
Ingredient images and source amounts are shown for comparison only; this is not a treatment recipe.
HKBU source-recorded composition
Ephedrae Herba (Ma Huang) 2 liang (6g), Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fu Zi pao) 1 whole piece broken into 8 pieces (9g), Asari Radix et Rhizoma (Xi Xin) 2 liang (3g)
The ingredients and amounts below are one HKBU-recorded version; texts, historical units, processing, and modern products can differ. This is comparative reference data, not a home-preparation recipe or personal dose.
Open complete HKBU formula record ↗