She Gan (射干) — Belamcanda / Blackberry Lily
She Gan is the classical Chinese herb for acute sore throat with Phlegm-Heat — a hoarse, painful throat with sticky phlegm, viral or streptococcal pharyngitis. It is the chief herb in the Han-dynasty formula She Gan Ma Huang Tang for wheezing cough with phlegm-throat obstruction.
On this page
- Overview
- Properties
- Actions and indications
- Dosage
- Cautions and incompatibilities
- Key formulas
- Treatment at my clinic
1. Overview
She Gan (射干) — Belamcanda / Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda chinensis) — is a Chinese herb in the Clear Heat and Resolve Toxicity category. I prescribe it as part of bespoke pharmaceutical-grade granule formulas from Sun Ten in Taiwan at my clinic in Wokingham, Berkshire and via online herbal consultations.
2. Properties
| Pinyin name | She Gan |
|---|---|
| Chinese characters | 射干 |
| Latin name | Belamcanda chinensis |
| English name | Belamcanda / Blackberry Lily |
| Nature | Cold |
| Flavour | Bitter |
| Channels entered | Lung |
| Category | Clear Heat and Resolve Toxicity |
3. Actions and indications
Principal actions
- Clears Heat and resolves Fire Toxin from the Lung and throat
- Transforms Phlegm
- Relieves throat swelling
Indications
- Acute sore throat with pus or heat sensation
- Hoarseness with phlegm
- Cough with sticky yellow phlegm
- Sinusitis and tonsillitis in the Phlegm-Heat pattern
4. Dosage
3–9g
5. Cautions and incompatibilities
- Contraindicated in Spleen deficiency and cold cough
- Reduce dose in weak patients
- Not typically used in early pregnancy
6. Key formulas
7. Treatment at my clinic
I prescribe She Gan where its indications and TCM pattern match the patient’s presentation, always as part of a tailored formula. Return to the Chinese herbs directory or the Chinese herbal medicine main page.
