Fritillaria bulb (chuan bei mu)
Fritillaria cirrhosa · 川贝母
Herbs & Roots. Chinese Medicine.
Also called Chuan bei mu, Sichuan fritillary, Fritillary bulb
Pinyin: Chuān Bèi Mǔ
Limited safety dataA small bulb from a wildflower, used in Chinese medicine to loosen phlegm and ease cough.
Did you know? Wild fritillary bulbs have been harvested heavily, so supply and prices can swing a lot from year to year.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Breathing & asthma. Used for coughs with thick phlegm in Chinese medicine. Human trials are few, and most evidence is tradition.Traditional proof
- Sore throat & cough. Used for dry or sore throat in tradition. Human proof is lacking.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Chinese medicine uses chuan bei mu to clear heat and phlegm from the lungs and ease dry or sticky coughs.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Expectorant, Antitussive. Energy: cooling.
- Chinese medicine
- 川贝母 Transform phlegm & stop cough. Nature: cool. Flavour: bitter, sweet. Enters the Lung and Heart channels.
How people take it
Usually taken as a powder, about 1 to 2 grams per dose. Decoctions use about 3 to 10 grams.
Powder, decoction and capsule.
Where to get it
Grown in mountain areas of western China. Sold as dried bulbs, powder, and in cough products. Several fritillary species are sold under this name, so check the species on the label.
Be careful
Generally low risk at usual herbal amounts, but large doses are not well studied. Ask a clinician before use in pregnancy or in young children. A cough that lasts more than a few weeks needs a doctor.
Avoid if: pregnancy; children under 12.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Often combined in cough formulas to loosen phlegm and soothe the throat.
The honest take
Chuan bei mu is a long-used cough herb, but human proof is thin. Most evidence is tradition, lab work, and mixed formulas. A cough that lasts more than a few weeks needs a doctor, not a bulb.