Ting Li Zi (flattened oval, yellowish-brown, Southern Ting Li Zi diameter 1mm, Northern 1.5mm, top concave, one end blunt and round, one end pointed, 2 shallow longitudinal grooves, pungent and sticky)

【Name】

Ting Li Zi

 【Source】

Shen Nong’s Classic of Materia Medica, Lower Grade

 【Common Usage Level】

D

 【Botanical Origin】

The dried mature seeds of Lepidium apetalum Willd. or Descurainia Sophia (L.) Webb. ex Prantl, both belonging to the Brassicaceae family. The former is commonly known as “Northern Ting Li Zi“, and the latter is commonly known as “Southern Ting Li Zi“.

 【Characteristics】

(1) Northern Ting Li Zi: Shaped like a flattened melon seed, yellowish-brown in color, 1~1.5㎜ long and about 0.5~1㎜ wide. One end is blunt and round, the other end is gradually pointed and slightly concave. The hilum is located at the concave area, but not obvious. Under magnification, the surface has many granular fine protrusions and 2 longitudinal shallow grooves. It has a slight odor, a bitter and pungent taste, and is sticky.
(2) Southern Ting Li Zi: Oblong and slightly flattened, about 0.8~1.2㎜ long and about 0.5㎜ wide. One end is blunt and round, and the other end is slightly concave or relatively flat. It has a slightly bitter and pungent taste and is slightly sticky.

 【Identification】

“The Compendium of Materia Medica” states: “The slightly diuretic effect is the best.” Good quality is indicated by plump, uniform, yellowish-brown seeds without impurities.
Southern and Northern Ting Li Zi have similar shapes. Southern Ting Li Zi is flat and round, small in size, yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, densely covered with wart-like small dots, with a slight odor, slightly bitter and pungent taste, and slightly sticky. Northern Ting Li Zi seeds are flat and oval, larger in size, slightly pungent in taste, and more sticky. After soaking Southern and Northern Ting Li Zi in water, observe them with a magnifying glass. The transparent mucous layer of Northern Ting Li Zi is thicker, and its thickness can exceed 1/2 of the seed width, while the Southern Ting Li Zi is thinner, and its thickness is about 1/5 of the seed width.

 【Category】

Seeds