HomeTraditional Chinese Medicine HerbsGinkgo Seed

Ginkgo Seed

Name

Ginkgo Seed

Latin Pharmaceutical Name

Ginkgo Semen

Chinese Name

白果

Category

Fruits and seeds

Ginkgo SeedMore Info

Production Regions

Primarily produced in Chinese provinces of Guangxi, Sichuan, Hubei, Jiangsu.

Macroscopic Features

The fresh outer skin of the seed is removed and presents egg-like or oval shape, 1.5~3cm long, 1~2.2cm wide. The outer shell (mesosperm) has a bone-like texture, smooth; externally yellowish-white or pale brownish-yellow; base has one spot-like bulge; each edge has one crest line, sometimes 3 crest lines. Inner seed coat is membranous; reddish-brown or pale brownish-yellow. Kernel is flat spherical, pale yellow; endosperm is plump and thick, powdery, with interval in the middle; embryo is tiny. faint odor. Taste slightly sweet, bitter.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material consists of yellowish-white seed coat, full kernel, pale yellow fractured surface.

Properties

Sweet, bitter, astringent; neutral; a bit toxic.

Functions

Constrains the lung and stabilizes panting, checks vaginal discharge and reduces urination. Asthma, cough due to phlegm; whitish vaginal discharge; white and turbish urine; anischuria; urinary frequency; unknown swelling toxin; nasal boil.

Origin

The dried mature seed of Ginkgo biloba L. (Ginkgoaceae).

Ginkgo SeedHerbs in the formula

Yellow-Transforming Decoction

Action：Consolidates the kidney and arrests vaginal discharge, clears heat and dispels dampness.

Indication：Yi Huang Tang is indicated for patients with abnormal vaginal discharge due to damp-heat accumulation. Symptoms include excessive yellow, sticky, thick leucorrhea. The yellow discoloration may have the appearance of dark tea in severe cases. Generally, the tongue body is red and the coating is greasy, yellow.

View Details Astringent formulas

Arrest Wheezing Decoction

Action：Diffuses the lung and directs qi downward, clears heat, and dissolves phlegm.

Indication：Ding Chuan Tang is indicated for wheezing and panting due to phlegm-heat accumulation in the lung. The symptoms are wheezing and panting, cough, phlegm with heavy breathing, thick yellow phlegm, and slight aversion to wind. The tongue coating is yellow and greasy, and the pulse is slippery and rapid.

View Details Qi-regulating formulas