Peucedanum, also known as Qian Hu in Pinyin, is a popular Chinese herb that is frequently used in many traditional herbal remedies. Its main medicinal part is the root. As a vital medicine to help cough up mucus, in particular yellow mucus, it is commonly used in the treatment of ailments that are associated with the symptoms of coughing and phlegm, such as cough after cold, acute and Chronic Bronchitis, viral influenza, Pneumonia, etc. What's more, today it can be also used in dysentery, Chronic Enteritis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with secondary pulmonary hypertension, baby crying at night for no reason, furuncle, and so on.

In fact, peucedanum refers to a genus in the family Apiaceae, in which there are a dozen of flowering species. Medicinally it mainly refers to the dried root of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn or Peucedanum decursivum Maxim. Other names of this herb include Hog's Fennel, Radix Peucedani, Peucedanum Root, and so on. In China P. praeruptorum is primarily produced in Zhejiang, Henan, Hunan, and Sichuan and P. decursivum is mostly grown in Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, and Zhejiang. They are usually collected in autumn and winter or early spring when the cauline leaves perish or before the flower stalk appears. After that, remove the fibrous roots and soil, dry in the sun, and then slice. It is normally used raw or baked with honey.

PEUCEDANUM HEALTH BENEFITS 
As mentioned previously, peucedanum is one of the best Chinese herbs for productive cough. However, this herb is far from a cure-all solution for all coughing with mucus. To figure out what peucedanum is good for, first let's take a good look at cough and mucus from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. Coughing with mucus, as its name implies, is characterized by coughing and phlegm. And other corresponding symptoms are usually accompanied according to the different causes and reactions of the body. The one caused by cold is usually acute and with a shorter duration, mostly accompanied by fever, headache, chills, etc. The one caused by internal injuries is usually without exogenous symptoms, chronic, and often accompanied by organ dysfunction syndromes.

Both Bai Qian (Cynanchum) and peucedanum root are known for their medicinal used on cough producing phlegm due to lung Qi upward reversal, thanks to their healing properties of descending qi and transforming phlegm. Actually they often appear in pair in herbal remedies for coughing up mucus. This is simply because they are so complementary that they can improve the efficacy – cynanchum is of warm nature and with stronger expectorant effect, which is more for cough due to internal injuries and cold phlegm; on the contrary, peucedanum is of slightly cold nature and with ability of dispersing wind-heat, which is ideal for exogenous wind-heat or phlegm-heat cough and asthma.

Peucedanum

PEUCEDANUM ROOT RECIPES ON HERBAL REMEDIES
The Chinese Pharmacopoeia says that it is bitter and acrid in flavor and slightly cold in nature. And it goes to meridian lung. Common functions are dispersing wind, clearing heat, descending qi, and transforming phlegm. Prime peucedanum use and indications include wind-heat cough with excessive mucus in throat, phlegm-heat wheezing cough, and coughing up yellowish green mucus. Recommended dosage is from 3 to 9 grams.

1. Qian Hu San from Tai Ping Sheng Hui Fang (Taiping Holy Prescriptions for Universal Relief). It is combined with Xing Ren (Apricot Seed), Sang Bai Pi (Mulberry Root Bark), Bei Mu (Fritillaria Bulb), etc. to treat fullness sensation in chest due to cough or asthma and coughing with yellow mucus.

2. Xing Su San from Wen Bing Tiao Bian (Detailed Analysis of Warm Diseases). It is formulated with Jing Jie (Schizonepeta), Zi Su Ye (Perilla Leaf), etc. to cure wind-cold type cough.

3. Qian Hu Yin from Sheng Ji Zong Lu (Complete Record of Holy Benevolence). It is matched with Fritillaria, Cynanchum, Mai Men Dong (Mondo Grass), Ma Huang (Ephedra), Da Huang (Rhubarb), etc. to heal cough with lung heat, excessive mucus, anxiety, and wheezing.