Kelp

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Liaoning, Shandong.

Laminaria japonica Aresch.: Rolled and folded in lumps or tangled in bundles. Whole body is black-brown or greenish-brown, surface covered with white frost. After soaking in water, it enlarges to a flat long belt-like shape, 50~150cm long, 10~40cm wide, center is relatively thick, edge is relatively thin, creating a rippled appearance. Nearly leathery texture, remnants of stem are flat cylindrical. Fishy odor; salty taste. Ecklonia kurome Okam.: Wrinkled in irregular lumps. Whole body is black, relatively thin. After soaking in water, it enlarges to a flat leaf-shape, about 16~26cm long and wide, about 1.6mm thick; both sides of the leaf have pinniform deep lobes, the lobes are long and tongue-shaped, edge has small teeth or entire. Soft and smooth texture.

Superior medicinal material has large leaves, thick body, green color.

Salty; cold.

Softens hardness, disperses binds, disperses phlegm, promotes urination. Apply to gall, scrofula, and swelling pain of testicles, phlegm retention and edema.