Leaf of Leatherleaf Mahonia … Classic Formulas

Shi Da Gong Lao Ye · Folium Mahoniae

Primary Actions

  • Clears heat and resolves toxicity - Shi Da Gong Lao Ye is used for red eyes, sores, boils, and hot inflammatory conditions.
  • Stops cough and resolves phlegm - traditional use includes chronic cough, phthisis-style coughing, and hemoptysis when heat and deficiency overlap.
  • Supports chronic weakness in regional use - some traditions extend it to sore low back and knees, tinnitus, and dizziness in lingering depleted states.

Classic Formulas

  • Shi Da Gong Lao Ye with Chuan Bei Mu or Mai Men Dong - a chronic cough and heat-phlegm pairing style.
  • Shi Da Gong Lao Ye with Jin Yin Hua or Lian Qiao - toxin-clearing logic when sores, red eyes, or upper-body heat signs are prominent.
  • Shi Da Gong Lao Ye with Du Zhong or Xu Duan - regional pattern logic when cough and weakness coexist.

Classical Text References

  • Traditional references describe Shi Da Gong Lao Ye as bitter and cold, used to clear heat, stop cough, and resolve phlegm.
  • Its modern identity as Mahonia leaf is especially important because nearby leaf records in this library include Chinese holly leaf, which older naming traditions sometimes confused with Gong Lao Ye.
  • This page follows the Mahonia medicinal-leaf identity rather than the Ilex cornuta leaf tradition.