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Fennel (Anise)
Fennel Seed
Small Fennel
Guangzhou Dill
(That is, Huaixiang Zi.) Acrid in flavor, neutral in qi. Non-toxic. Grows abundantly in villages, harvested only in the eighth lunar month of autumn. The husk has eight angles, and the seeds inside are red. Chewing them yields a very sweet and fragrant taste; used after stir-frying with salt and wine. Enters the Heart and Kidney zang organs, as well as the Small Intestine and Bladder channels. Primarily treats Kidney labor and hernia qi, and cramping pain caused by Small Intestine "hanging qi"; regulates dry-heat Hong Kong foot (podagra/foot swelling due to damp-heat), and swelling/pain caused by Cold Qi in the Bladder. Opens the stomach, stops vomiting, promotes food intake, and when used in cooking, removes odors and enhances fragrance. It is a rapid prescription for various Wei syndromes (flaccidity syndromes) and Huoluan (cholera-like disorder), and an essential herb for tonifying deficiency of the Mingmen (Gate of Life). For treating malignant swellings and carbuncle toxins, crush the roots and leaves, extract the juice, and swallow. Additionally, Small Fennel is cultivated in gardens. It resembles Semen Cnidii (Shechuangzi), with a dark brown color and light, hollow texture. It also treats hernia and disperses pain; added as a major spice, its effect is particularly remarkable. Another variety, Guangzhou Dill, originates from Fujian and Guangdong. The grains resemble the opening of Manjiao (Sichuan pepper), (commonly called Shiluo Jiao, containing black seeds inside, but with thin skin, dark brown color, and not red.) Its aroma and flavor are more acrid than fennel. It dissipates qi stagnation and relieves hypochondriac distension, and when used in cooking, it neutralizes fish and meat toxicity. It aids digestion.

Lizhou Cyperus Rotundus
(That is, the root of Cyperus rotundus.)
Bitter and sweet in flavor, slightly cold in qi. The aromatic quality is stronger than the taste, representing Yin within Yang. Non-toxic. Grows in suburbs near roads everywhere, but those produced in Gaozhou (in Guangdong province) are superior. The rhizome is robust like a jujube pit, surrounded by hairs. Harvested in autumn and sun-dried; avoid contact with iron tools. Pre-soak thoroughly in cooked child's urine, then crush and stir-fry in a clay pot. If treating Qi pain, stir-frying with vinegar is especially effective. It is a Qi-moving herb within the Blood category, indispensable in any formula addressing Blood and Qi disorders. It rapidly moves Qi, opens depression, dispels blood stasis, and regulates menstruation. It expels external pathogens causing skin pruritus, and stops internal symptoms of Huoluan (vomiting and diarrhea). Charred until black, it arrests metrorrhagia and bleeding; mixed with vinegar powder and applied externally, it treats breast swelling turning into carbuncles. It resolves retained food, consolidates loose stools. It dispels heat, promotes hair growth, supplements Qi, and nourishes skin and hair. Long-term use benefits people. (As a draining and regulating agent,) one must comprehend its principle. Furthermore, it guides Blood-invigorating herbs into the Qi level to generate Blood, hence it is called the essential herb for women.
(Chen Jiamo) Commentary: In the *Shennong Bencao Jing*, various formulas use it to dispel blood stasis and regulate menstruation, which means descending Qi and pushing out the old. Used to treat continuous metrorrhagia, it supplements Qi and stops bleeding. It is also said that it guides Blood herbs to the Qi level to generate Blood, implying it can also tonify. How can this be described as contradictory or conflicting? Although this follows the principle of Yin generating Yang and Yang growing, the *Bencao Jing* does not explicitly mention tonification. Only in the Xiaolao Tang (Elderly Benefit Decoction) is it used, stating it benefits the elderly, implying its nature lies therein. Essentially, it combines movement with tonification, and tonification with movement. Just as Heaven is Heaven because it is vigorous and constant. Vigorous operation without cessation leads to endless generation; this is the principle.