Calabash gourd (Hulu)

Pharmaceutical Name: Pericarpium lagenariae

Botanical Name: Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.

Common Name: Calabash gourd.

Source of Earliest Record: Rihuazi Bencao.

Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: When the calabash gourd ripens in autumn, its peel is collected and dried in the sun.

Properties & Taste: Sweet and neutral.

Meridians: Lung and small intestine.

Functions: To promote water metabolism and reduce edema.

Indications & Combinations: Edema. Calabash gourd (Hulu) is used with herbs which promote water metabolism, such as Benincasa peel (Dongguapi).