Inula Flower — Classic Formulas
Xuan Fu Hua · Flos Inulae
Primary Actions
- Descends rebellious qi and transforms phlegm - Xuan Fu Hua is classically used for productive cough, chest fullness, wheezing, and a sense that qi is stuck in the chest or diaphragm.
- Stops vomiting and redirects Stomach qi downward - it is especially valued when nausea, hiccup, belching, or retching occur together with phlegm, fullness, or weakness after illness.
- Softens clumps and disperses constrained phlegm - later uses extend to hard phlegm accumulation or focal chest oppression when the phlegm is stubborn and difficult to move.
Classic Formulas
- Xuan Fu Dai Zhe Tang - classic formula for belching, hiccup, nausea, and focal epigastric fullness from rebellious Stomach qi.
- Xuan Fu Hua with Ban Xia and Chen Pi - common phlegm-and-cough pairing for chest oppression, nausea, and productive cough.
- Xuan Fu Hua with Dai Zhe Shi and Sheng Jiang - downward-directing strategy when vomiting and phlegm obstruction occur together.
Classical Text References
- Traditional herbology lists Xuan Fu Hua as bitter, acrid, salty, and slightly warm, with a special ability to direct Lung and Stomach qi downward.
- Its best-known textbook role is the combination of phlegm, cough, nausea, and belching rather than isolated dry cough or simple indigestion alone.
- Modern teaching also stresses the need to decoct it in a bag because of its irritating hairs.