Inula Flower Classic Formulas … Natural Herb Library

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Descends rebellious qi and transforms phlegm - Xuan Fu Hua is a classic herb for productive cough, wheezing, chest oppression, and stubborn phlegm lodged in the Lung.
Directs Stomach qi downward and stops vomiting - it is used for belching, nausea, hiccup, and vomiting, especially when phlegm, dampness, or focal hardness obstruct the middle.
Softens hardness and dissipates clumping - formula traditions use it when phlegm, qi, and retained fluids create fullness or hardness under the heart or in the chest.

Xuan Fu Dai Zhe Tang - classic Zhang Zhongjing formula for epigastric focal hardness, belching, and vomiting with mixed deficiency and phlegm.
Xiang Fu Xuan Fu Hua Tang - traditional pairing logic when liver constraint, phlegm, and chest or epigastric oppression coexist.
Xuan Fu Hua with Ban Xia and Dai Zhe Shi - practical descending-qi strategy for nausea, vomiting, and phlegm obstruction.

Official Chinese references describe Xuan Fu Hua as bitter, pungent, salty, and slightly warm, entering the Lung, Spleen, Stomach, and Large Intestine to descend qi, transform phlegm, soften hardness, and stop vomiting.
The standard indications are cough with copious sputum, vomiting, belching, hiccup, and focal hardness below the heart.
Its strong downward direction makes it a classic bridge herb between phlegm-cough and rebellious-Stomach-qi formulas.