Common Perilla Stem … Classic Formulas
Su Geng · Caulis Perillae Frutescentis
Primary Actions
- Promotes Qi movement and relieves fullness ... Su Geng is used for chest or epigastric constraint with belching, nausea, poor appetite, or abdominal distension.
- Harmonizes the middle and stops vomiting ... it is chosen when stomach Qi is constrained rather than blazing upward with strong heat.
- Calms the fetus in traditional use ... the stem lane is especially associated with pregnancy-related nausea and abdominal discomfort.
Classic Formulas
- Su Geng additions to middle-jiao harmonizing formulas ... used when nausea and fullness are more prominent than surface symptoms.
- Pregnancy-supportive herb pairings with Sha Ren or Chen Pi ... a familiar traditional logic for nausea with Qi stagnation.
- Digestive perilla combinations with Hou Po or Xiang Fu ... used when distension and poor appetite dominate.
Classical Text References
- Traditional Chinese materia medica describes Su Geng as a warm acrid stem that regulates Qi, harmonizes the middle, and calms the fetus.
- The stem is usually differentiated from the leaf and seed because its digestive and pregnancy-facing role is the cleanest part of its identity.