Botanical atlas
Tetrandrine (Han Fang Ji)
Stephania tetrandra
This plant is kept in the atlas for identification and safety, not for use. Read the safety notes below before handling it, and keep it away from children, cats, and food.
In Chinese medicine, the root of Stephania tetrandra has been dug, sliced, and dried for centuries under the name Han Fang Ji, prized in classical formulas for supporting healthy fluid balance and easing the heavy, aching joints associated with damp, rainy climates. Old herbal texts group it among the water-regulating herbs, used alongside other roots to help move what practitioners called stagnant dampness from the body. It was also woven into formulas meant to calm an overheated, agitated pulse. Because of its potency, it was always treated as a physician's herb rather than a kitchen one, measured carefully and combined thoughtfully rather than taken alone.
Safety.
Han Fang Ji root has repeatedly been confused with a related, far more toxic root, Aristolochia fangchi, a mix-up that caused kidney failure and cancer in patients using contaminated weight-loss products in the 1990s. Even correctly identified, tetrandrine can strain the kidneys and liver and interacts with blood pressure and calcium channel medications. It should only be used, if at all, under supervision of a licensed practitioner who can verify its identity, never for self-dosing, pregnancy, or nursing.
Our sister app HerbLens identifies tetrandrine (han fang ji) from a photo and keeps its full botanical portrait: growing guide, harvest notes, and look-alike warnings.
View on HerbLensHerbSense shares traditional herbal knowledge for education, not diagnosis or treatment. Herbs can interact with medicines and conditions. Speak with your doctor before acting on anything here, and seek care promptly for anything severe, sudden, or worsening.