Yi Tiao Gen for Strengthening Muscles and Bones

Origin of "Yi Tiao Gen" (A Mighty Root)

Legend has it that the application of "Yi Tiao Gen" (A Mighty Root) originated during the time of Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga). At that time, soldiers stationed in Kinmen suffered from various joint inflammation and rheumatic diseases due to the island's climate. They learned about the folk remedy called "Yi Tiao Gen" from local villagers. Military doctors started soaking and brewing "Yi Tiao Gen" in alcohol, which the soldiers consumed daily. The soldiers' rheumatic conditions were soon effectively healed. The medical officers even discovered that "Yi Tiao Gen" not only had miraculous effects on rheumatic diseases but also significantly improved problems like bruises, injuries, and muscle soreness.

Source and Classification

[Botanical Name]: Flemingia macrophylla (Willd.) O.Ktze. ex Prain

[English Name]: Flemingia macrophylla

[Family]: Leguminosae (the pea family)

[Other Names]: Large Pigtail, Qian Jin Li (Guangxi Medicinal Plant Catalog), Qian Jin Hong (Yunnan Medicinal Plant Catalog), Hong Yao Tou, Bai Ma Shi, Hong Dou Cao (Taiwan Medicinal Plant Record), Tian Gen Bu Dao (Guizhou Folk Medicines).

Distribution and Morphology:

[Distribution]: Found in Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Taiwan in China.

[Morphology]: An erect semi-shrub, reaching a height of 1 to 3 meters. Young branches are covered with yellow short hairs. Leaves are trifoliate; the terminal leaflet is ovate-lanceolate, measuring 6 to 20 cm in length and 2.5 to 9 cm in width, with a gradually pointed tip and short pointed base. The upper leaf surface is nearly hairless, while the back of the leaf has yellowish soft hairs along the veins. There are three main veins originating from the base. The lateral leaflets are smaller and slanting, with two main veins originating from the base. The petiole has narrow wings. The inflorescence is racemose and axillary, with numerous densely-packed flowers. The axis and pedicels of the inflorescence are covered with pale yellow short hairs. The calyx is bell-shaped, with several ovate lobes, the lowest one being longer and hairy on the outer surface. The corolla is purplish-red, about 1 cm long. There are ten stamens, organized into two groups, with varying quantities in each group. The ovary has filamentous hairs. The fruit is elongated and oval, measuring about 1.5 cm in length, and brown with short soft hairs. Seeds are 1 to 2 in number, ovate, and black. The flowering season is from June to August, while the fruiting season is from July to September.

Functions and Indications:

According to medicinal literature, "Yi Tiao Gen" has a pungent taste and warm nature. It can dispel wind, eliminate dampness, promote blood circulation, detoxify, and invigorate qi and blood. It possesses unique therapeutic effects on rheumatic conditions. When brewed into tea or wine, it induces heavy sweating, helping to eliminate acidic toxins from the body. The root or stem leaves have properties that dispel wind and dampness, nourish the spleen and kidneys, and strengthen muscles and bones. It is used to treat rheumatic bone pain, lumbar muscle strain, limb weakness, hemiplegia, impotence, irregular menstruation, excessive vaginal discharge, abdominal distension, poor appetite, and edema caused by qi deficiency.

[Source]: Illustrated Handbook of Commonly Used Medicinal Plants in Taiwan, Volume III.