Suspected Misidentification of the Herb in the Article “Folk Experience from Hubei on Using Tiankuizi Against Cancer”

Yesterday, after I published the article “Folk Experience from Hubei on Using Tiankuizi Against Cancer”, a reader pointed out that the plant in the article's photograph was Corydalis bulbifera, not tiankuizi—I am very grateful to the enthusiastic reader who corrected me, whose screen name is “Shu Hai Wei Lan.” After repeated verification with the herb-digger, the plant may be neither tiankuizi nor Corydalis bulbifera, but rather the TCM herb xiatianwu (Decumbent Corydalis tuber). The digger described the herb's properties as: it can be dug in spring but cannot be found in summer, and it has a good pain-relieving effect—these are the characteristics of xiatianwu.

However, the digger also said that what he had dug seemed to be two similar plants rather than just one, so the herbal material he used was ambiguous. I have asked him to provide physical specimens for me to identify. If there are further updates, I will write another article to explain.

Moreover, the digger who instructed that fellow from Hubei was from Shaoxing, Zhejiang; only because the fellow was originally from Hubei, and she said her hometown neighbor had pointed it out, did I mistakenly assume the instructor was from Hubei. That fellow had married into Shaoxing, Zhejiang, and the “neighbor” she referred to was a neighbor of her husband's family, not her own birth family.

Xiatianwu is the dried tuber of Corydalis decumbens (Thunb.) Pers. of the Papaveraceae family. It is a pain-relieving herb commonly used in TCM and is also one of the herbs I often use for cancer pain, although references such as the Zhonghua Bencao do not record any anti-tumor effect for xiatianwu.

I will continue to follow up on this folk-medicine case over the long term. The literature on tiankuizi that I introduced yesterday is accurate, and I already noted in the original text that a reader suspected the plant was Corydalis bulbifera, so that article is retained for now. To ensure the accuracy of the introduction to tiankuizi's medicinal properties, I have revised that article and am republishing it under the title “The Anti-Cancer Effects and Side Effects of Tiankuizi.”

Besides xiatianwu, the Papaveraceae plant Corydalis edulis Maxim. is also used as a folk medicine in many regions. Its effects are clearing heat and detoxifying, and killing parasites to relieve itching. It is indicated for sores and swellings, purulent ear discharge, sore throat, stubborn tinea, bald sores, and venomous snake bites. Corydalis edulis is toxic and should not be used in large doses. Corydalis bulbifera is also used in folk medicine and is likewise toxic, so the dose should not be large. Corydalis bulbifera also has the effect of reducing swelling and stopping pain; folk use it to treat stomach heat pain, snake bites, and carbuncles and sores. The effects of Corydalis edulis and Corydalis bulbifera are similar, but not entirely the same as those of xiatianwu.