Natural Herb Library

Winged Euonymus Twig

Chinese
鬼箭羽
Pinyin
Gui Jian Yu
Latin
Ramulus Euonymi
Botanical illustration of Twig of Winged Euonymus, Euonymus alatus, showing winged twigs, cork ridges, and diagnostic plant details.
Botanical plate by Kodi .

Known in TCM as Gui Jian Yu (鬼箭羽), this bitter and pungent, cold herb enters the Liver. Traditionally, it breaks blood and stimulates menstruation ... Gui Jian Yu is used for amenorrhea, fixed blood stasis, and chronic accumulation patterns with stubborn obstruction, most often applied for amenorrhea, thyroid nodule, and joint pain. Modern research has identified Flavonoids among its active constituents.

Part used: Twig

Also Known As

Gui Jian Yu Ramulus Euonymi Cork-winged euonymus twig

Latin: Ramulus Euonymi | Pinyin: Gui Jian Yu | Chinese: 鬼箭羽

TCM Properties

Taste
bitter, pungent
Temperature
cold
Channels
Liver

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Breaks blood and stimulates menstruation ... Gui Jian Yu is used for amenorrhea, fixed blood stasis, and chronic accumulation patterns with stubborn obstruction.
  • Dispels wind and relieves pain ... traditional use includes painful obstruction, channel stagnation, and traumatic or fixed pain.
  • Reduces swelling and disperses masses ... the cork-winged twigs are used when stasis and toxic swelling overlap in nodular or hard lesions.

Secondary Actions

  • This page stays on the cork-winged twigs and should not drift into ornamental burning-bush leaf or fruit content.
  • Gui Jian Yu is a stronger blood-breaking herb than gentle blood-regulating medicinals, so the safety framing must remain explicit.

Classic Formulas

  • Amenorrhea and mass-dispersing combinations with Tao Ren, San Leng, E Zhu, or Hong Hua ... the classic blood-stasis lane.
  • Traumatic-pain and wind-damp pairings with Qin Jiao, Hai Tong Pi, or channel-opening herbs ... a secondary musculoskeletal use context.
  • Regional swelling and nodule prescriptions ... documentary references where blood stasis and toxin overlap.

Classical References

  • Traditional summaries describe Gui Jian Yu as bitter, pungent, and cold, entering the Liver to break blood, stimulate menstruation, and reduce fixed obstruction.
  • The Chinese name points directly to the winged stem ridges, which is why correct cork-winged twig identity matters more here than ornamental horticultural naming.

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Flavonoids and phenolic constituents isolated from Euonymus alatus twigs
  • Steroidal and triterpenoid compounds studied for anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects
  • Multi-component extract fractions investigated in fibrosis, glucose, and inflammatory models

Studied Effects

  • A 2020 comprehensive review summarized traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and analytical work on Euonymus alatus and remains the best modern overview for Gui Jian Yu (PMID 32423879).
  • A 2019 study isolated a steroidal compound from Euonymus alatus twigs that exerted anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated macrophages, keeping the pharmacology closely tied to the twig material itself (PMID 31731472).
  • A 2019 study reported that Euonymus alatus extracts and monomers alleviated liver fibrosis in mice and LX2 cells through TβR1-Smad2/3 and TNF-α-NF-κB pathway effects, which loosely parallels the classic stasis-and-hardness lane (PMID 30787972).

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Pregnancy
  • Heavy menstrual bleeding
  • Qi and Blood deficiency without fixed stasis or obstruction

Cautions

  • Gui Jian Yu is a blood-breaking twig medicine and should not be treated as a mild everyday circulatory herb.
  • Part identity matters ... the clinically relevant material is the cork-winged twig rather than ornamental plant matter in general.

Conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Winged Euonymus Twig used for?

Winged Euonymus Twig is traditionally used to Breaks blood and stimulates menstruation ... Gui Jian Yu is used for amenorrhea, fixed blood stasis, and chronic accumulation patterns with stubborn obstruction., Dispels wind and relieves pain ... traditional use includes painful obstruction, channel stagnation, and traumatic or fixed pain., Reduces swelling and disperses masses ... the cork-winged twigs are used when stasis and toxic swelling overlap in nodular or hard lesions.. Research has investigated its effects on: A 2020 comprehensive review summarized traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and analytical work on Euonymus alatus and remains the best modern overview for Gui Jian Yu (PMID 32423879).; A 2019 study isolated a steroidal compound from Euonymus alatus twigs that exerted anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-stimulated macrophages, keeping the pharmacology closely tied to the twig material itself (PMID 31731472)..

What are other names for Winged Euonymus Twig?

Winged Euonymus Twig is also known as Gui Jian Yu, Ramulus Euonymi, Cork-winged euonymus twig. In TCM: 鬼箭羽 (Gui Jian Yu); Ramulus Euonymi.

Is Winged Euonymus Twig safe during pregnancy?

Winged Euonymus Twig is not recommended during pregnancy.

What are the contraindications for Winged Euonymus Twig?

Winged Euonymus Twig should not be used in: Pregnancy; Heavy menstrual bleeding; Qi and Blood deficiency without fixed stasis or obstruction. Consult a qualified practitioner before use.