Botanical atlas

Chinese Cucumber

Trichosanthes kirilowii

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the ripe fruit of this vine, known as Gua Lou, has long been dried and included in formulas meant to clear phlegm-heat and ease a tight, congested chest. The seeds were valued separately for their own gentle, moistening reputation in old herbal texts. The root, called Tian Hua Fen, held a very different and far more serious place in traditional practice, reserved for skilled hands because of its potency. This is a plant whose fruit and root traveled very separate paths in the old apothecary, one common and workaday, the other handled with real caution.

In tradition.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the ripe fruit of this vine, known as Gua Lou, has long been dried and included in formulas meant to clear phlegm-heat and ease a tight, congested chest. The seeds were valued separately for their own gentle, moistening reputation in old herbal texts. The root, called Tian Hua Fen, held a very different and far more serious place in traditional practice, reserved for skilled hands because of its potency. This is a plant whose fruit and root traveled very separate paths in the old apothecary, one common and workaday, the other handled with real caution.

Safety.

The root of this plant (Tian Hua Fen) contains trichosanthin, a potent protein historically used as an abortifacient and to induce labor; it is unsafe in pregnancy and has caused severe allergic reactions and documented fatalities. This entry intentionally omits any home remedy or dosing information and should only ever be used under the guidance of a licensed TCM practitioner or physician.