Kudzu root · Ge Gen
Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi · Root
Name and part used
A perennial vine has trifoliate leaves, purple racemes, and pods; its large starch-rich root is cut into fibrous medicinal slices.
Traditional context
Muscle-release, fluid generation, and yang-lifting are traditional claims, not proof for hypertension, diabetes, or fever.
Modern evidence
HKBU describes thick ivory root pieces with pale-brown exterior and fibrous pliable texture; distinguish related Pueraria species.
Safety
Isoflavones may interact with hormones/medicines; use caution with liver disease, pregnancy, hormone-sensitive conditions, and glucose drugs.
Pairing in reference texts
Ge Gen appears with Sheng Ma, Bai Shao, and Gan Cao in historical exterior formulas; do not use as self-treatment for blood pressure or fever.
Growing, care, and harvest timing
HKBU habitat record: Growing in roadside tussock, on hill-slopes and dank places. Distributed in Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu and etc. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Hunan, Henan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Sichuan and etc Harvest and processing as recorded: Excavated in autumn and winter, cut into slices or tubers when fresh, and dried
Source-recorded harvest/processing: Excavated in autumn and winter, cut into slices or tubers when fresh, and 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
- Đào rễ trưởng thành, rũ đất và rửa; loại phần thối hoặc sâu.
- Excavate mature roots, remove soil and wash, discarding rot or insect damage.
These are post-harvest study notes, not directions to prepare a remedy for self-treatment. Processing reference ↗
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: April to August, fruiting: August to October Habitat and distribution: Growing in roadside tussock, on hill-slopes and dank places. Distributed in Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu and etc. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Hunan, Henan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Sichuan and etc Harvest and processing as recorded: Excavated in autumn and winter, cut into slices or tubers when fresh, and dried
Open botanical source ↗HKBU formula record containing this herb: Chai Ge Jie Ji Tang / Bupleurum and Pueraria Muscle-Resolving Decoction
Traditional action in the source: Releases the flesh and clears heat
Ingredient images and source amounts are shown for comparison only; this is not a treatment recipe.
HKBU source-recorded composition
Bupleuri Radix (Chai Hu) 6g, Puerariae Lobatae Radix (Gan Ge) 9g, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao) 3g, Scutellariae Radix (Huang Qin) 6g, Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix (Qiang Huo) 3g, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix (Bai Zhi) 3g, Paeoniae Radix Alba (Shao Yao) 6g, Platycodonis Radix (Jie Geng) 3g, Gypsum Fibrosum (Shi Gao) 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 ↗