Benincasa peel (Dongguapi)

Pharmaceutical Name: Exocarpium Benincasae
Botanical Name: Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.
Common Name: Benincasa peel, Chinese wax gourd
Source of Earliest Record: Kaibao Bencao.
Part Used & Method for Pharmaceutical Preparations: The peel of the gourd is dried in the sun.
Properties & Taste: Sweet and slightly cold.
Meridians: Lung and small intestine.
Functions: To promote water metabolism and reduce edema
Indications & Combinations: Edema. Benincasa peel (Dongguapi) is used with Phaseolus seed (Chixiaodou), Imperata rhizome (Baimaogen) and Poria (Fuling) in the formula Donggua Wan.
Dosage: 15-30 g






The Benincasa seed (Dongguaren), or Chinese wax gourd seed, is sweet and cold in properties, and clears heat in the lungs, resolves phlegm and eliminates pus. The herb is indicated in cough due to heat in the lungs, lung abscess and intestinal abscess. The dosage is 10-15 g.