Dogbane Leaf — Classic Formulas
Luo Bu Ma Ye · Folium Apocyni Veneti
Primary Actions
- Clears heat and helps lower rising pressure - Luo Bu Ma leaf is used in modern TCM practice for hypertension-like presentations with dizziness, headache, irritability, and Liver heat or rising Yang patterns.
- Strengthens the Heart and promotes urination - traditional indications extend to palpitations, edema, and fluid retention when heat and circulatory strain coexist.
- Calms agitation and eases restlessness - the leaf is widely used as a medicinal tea when irritability, poor sleep, and tension accompany elevated pressure.
Classic Formulas
- Luo Bu Ma tea preparations - later medicinal-tea traditions use the leaf alone or with Ju Hua for dizziness, irritability, and elevated pressure.
- Luo Bu Ma with Ze Xie or Che Qian Zi - later pairing logic when head pressure coexists with edema and scanty urination.
Classical Text References
- TCM Wiki describes Luo Bu Ma as sweet, bitter, and cool, entering the Liver channel, with actions of clearing heat, decreasing blood pressure, strengthening the heart, and inducing diuresis.
- Modern Chinese herb manuals commonly present Luo Bu Ma as a mild but useful leaf for hypertension, edema, and agitation, especially in tea form.