Ladybells

A tickling dry cough that lingers weeks after a fever has cleared, with a red dry tongue and little coating

The elderly patient with a raspy voice, dry mouth at night, and stringy sputum that is hard to raise

Post-illness fatigue with thirst and poor appetite, where a stronger qi tonic feels too warm

Overview. Nan sha shen, southern sand root, is the root of Adenophora stricta and Adenophora tetraphylla, perennial bellflowers of the family Campanulaceae native to the hills of eastern China, Korea and Japan. Plants of the World Online now treats Adenophora tetraphylla as a form of Adenophora triphylla, but the pharmacopoeial name persists in commerce. The pale, spongy root is dug in autumn and dried, and Chinese medicine classes it with the yin tonics: a gentle moistener of the Lung and Stomach that also clears phlegm, distinct from bei sha shen (Glehnia), which is more purely moistening and does not transform phlegm.

Clinical Notes. Nan sha shen is the yin tonic to reach for when there is still some phlegm to clear. After a chest infection or fever the patient is left with a dry, tickly cough, a raw throat and scanty sputum that will not come up; here it moistens without gumming the chest as heavier tonics such as shu di huang would.

Chinese Medicine Profile. Temperature: slightly cold. Taste: sweet, slightly bitter. Channels: Lung, Stomach. Actions: Nourishes Lung yin and clears deficiency heat from the Lung; Generates fluids and moistens the Stomach; Dissolves phlegm and eases dry cough; Gently supports qi alongside yin.