Pu Huang (Catail Pollen)

Chinese Herb Actions

Chinese Herb Dosage

• What is the typical dosage of Pu Huang?

  3–10 g in decoction, wrapped in a cloth bag (bao jian) because the fine pollen otherwise floats. Preparation selects the action: raw Pu Huang is used to invigorate the blood, while charred / dry-fried Pu Huang (Pu Huang Tan) is used to stop bleeding.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes; standard materia medica ranges. Reference only — not a prescription.

Chinese Herb Contraindications & Cautions

• Are there cautions or contraindications for Pu Huang?

  Pu Huang is traditionally contraindicated during pregnancy because it invigorates the blood. Use it only where there is a genuine bleeding or blood-stasis indication; it is not appropriate simply as a routine tonic.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes; standard materia medica.

Chinese Herb Toxicity & Overdose

• Low. No significant toxicity is reported for Cattail Pollen at normal therapeutic doses in the reviewed materia medica and research.

  Source: materia medica consensus; no toxicity signal in the reviewed research.

Herb-Drug Interactions

• No well-established clinical herb–drug interactions are documented. Because laboratory research reports both hemostatic and anticoagulant/antiplatelet-type activity for Typha pollen constituents (below), practitioner caution is reasonable alongside anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. (Flagged for practitioner confirmation — absence of documented interactions is not proof of safety.)

Western / Biomedical Research

Chinese Herb Clinical Studies & Research

Provided as research context — a summary of published biomedical study, not a therapeutic or medical claim.

• Is there modern research on Pu Huang (Typha pollen)?

  Yes, but it is largely preclinical. The principal constituents are flavonoids (e.g. typhaneoside and isorhamnetin glycosides) plus polysaccharides. A laboratory study of Pollen Typhae reported hemostatic activity in which an acidic polysaccharide activated coagulation factor XII on external application, while orally the effect was attributed to flavonoid constituents that also carry anticoagulant activity — a dual profile that mirrors the herb’s traditional stop-bleeding / move-blood duality. A review of the carbonization (charring) process documents that stir-frying to Carbonized Typhae Pollen alters its chemistry and is associated with its hemostatic use, giving a modern parallel to the classic raw-versus-charred distinction. Human clinical evidence remains limited.

  Sources: PubMed 21934490 (hemostatic activity, external vs oral, Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis 2011); PubMed 33388428 (effects of the carbonized process on Typhae Pollen, a review, J Ethnopharmacol 2021). Research context, not a therapeutic claim.

Chinese Herb Notes

• What is the difference between raw and charred Pu Huang, and what is it combined with?

  Raw Pu Huang invigorates the blood and dispels stasis; charred Pu Huang (Pu Huang Tan) is used to stop bleeding. This raw-versus-charred choice is the herb’s defining feature and determines which of its two directions predominates. Among the stop-bleeding herbs, Pu Huang is considered better suited to bleeding that involves excess or blood stagnation.

  Common combinations:

  • With Wu Ling Zhi — the pair forms Shi Xiao San (“Sudden Smile Powder”), the classic formula for blood-stasis pain such as chest, epigastric, post-partum, and menstrual pain.
  • With San Qi, Hua Rui Shi, or Jiang Xiang — for bleeding accompanied by blood stasis.
  • For bloody urination (xue lin) — Pu Huang is a traditional choice, often with other herbs that clear and promote urination.

  Source: owner’s Five Branches notes (differentiation set & combinations); standard materia medica.