Citron Bark — Classic Formulas
Xiang Chuan Pi · Cortex Citri
Primary Actions
- Moves constrained Qi and relieves distention pain - Xiang Chuan Pi is used for chest, flank, epigastric, and abdominal fullness when stagnant Qi is the main problem and a more moving citron-pi action is desired.
- Harmonizes the middle and improves stagnant digestion - traditional use extends to belching, poor appetite, focal fullness, and discomfort from impaired Spleen-Stomach Qi movement.
- Helps transform phlegm and ease cough - like the broader Xiang Yuan lineage, the bark or peel is used when stagnant Qi and sticky phlegm combine to create cough, sputum retention, or a stifling chest sensation.
Classic Formulas
- Xiang Chuan Pi with Mu Xiang and Huo Xiang - middle-jiao Qi-stagnation pairing logic for abdominal fullness, belching, and poor appetite.
- Xiang Chuan Pi with Chai Hu, Yu Jin, or Fo Shou - Liver-Qi-constriction strategy for rib-side or epigastric distention and pain.
- Xiang Chuan Pi with Ban Xia and Gua Lou Pi - citrus-phlegm combination logic when stagnant Qi and retained sputum bind the chest.
Classical Text References
- American Dragon's Xiang Yuan monograph notes that Xiang Yuan Pi has a stronger Qi-circulating function than the fruit itself, which is the main traditional distinction preserved in modern herb summaries.
- Traditional citron-peel usage places the medicinal in the Qi-regulating category, especially for epigastric and abdominal discomfort with chest oppression or phlegm involvement.
- Because modern indexed literature is much richer for Citrus medica fruit and finger-citron materials than for the exact bark record, this file keeps the bark profile conservative and flags where species-level inference is being used.