Fruits and seedsWind-extinguishingTribuli Fructus

Bai Ji Li (Tribulus Fruit)

白蒺藜 · Bai Ji Li

Wind-extinguishing herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Traditional functions: Calms the liver, brightens the eyes, dispels wind, and stops itching.

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Quick Facts

Latin Name	Tribuli Fructus
Chinese Name & Pinyin	白蒺藜 · Bai Ji Li
Medicinal Part	Fruits and seeds
Efficacy Category	Wind-extinguishing
Botanical Origin	The dried ripe fruit of Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae).
Nature & Flavour	Acrid, Bitter; Slightly warm; Slightly toxic
Channels Entered	Liver

What Is Bai Ji Li?

Bai Ji Li (Tribulus Fruit) is a medicinal herb of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Anhui.

Nature & Flavour: Acrid, Bitter; Slightly warm; Slightly toxic
Channels Entered: Liver

Bai Ji Li: Materia Medica Profile

Identification & Quality Standard

Tribuli Fructus

Botanical Origin

The dried ripe fruit of Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae).

Production Regions

Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Henan, Hebei, Shandong and Anhui.

Quality Requirements

Superior medicinal material is uniformly grey-white, with intact spines and full fruit.

Macroscopic Features

Pentagonal mericarps with paired hard spines; externally greenish-grey to greyish-white; hard.

Traditional TCM Properties

Acrid, Bitter; Slightly warm; Slightly toxicLiver

Traditional Functions

Calms the liver, brightens the eyes, dispels wind, and stops itching. Apply to headache and dizziness from liver yang, red eyes, and wind-rash itching.

How Bai Ji Li Is Used in TCM

In the Chinese materia medica, Bai Ji Li is classified among the Wind-extinguishing herbs. It appears in 1 classical formulas in our library.

Formulas containing Bai Ji Li are traditionally used for:

Dry Skin

Classical Formulas Containing Bai Ji Li

Dang Gui Yin Zi

當歸飲子

Formula CategoryBlood-Tonifying FormulasPrimary PatternBlood DeficiencyPrimary FunctionNourish blood, dispel wind, stop itchRelated ConditionsDry Skin

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Herbs Commonly Combined with Bai Ji Li

Dang Gui Bai Shao Chuan Xiong Sheng Di Huang Fang Feng Jing Jie He Shou Wu Huang Qi Gan Cao

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bai Ji Li? Are Sha Yuan Zi and Ci Ji Li the same?

The pharmacopoeial name is Ji Li (蒺藜), also called Bai Ji Li and Ci Ji Li. It is the dried ripe fruit of Tribulus terrestris. The pharmacopoeial name is Tribuli Fructus. Sha Yuan Zi is also called Tong Ji Li: the seed of Astragalus complanatus, sweet-warm, supplements the Kidney, assists yang, secures essence, reduces urination, nourishes the Liver and brightens the eyes. It is not this fruit. Write Ji Li or Bai Ji Li. Use caution in pregnancy and qi and Blood vacuity.

What are the TCM properties and traditional uses of Bai Ji Li?

According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Ji Li is acrid, bitter and slightly warm, enters the Liver channel, and acts to calm the Liver, resolve depression, invigorate Blood, dispel wind, brighten the eyes and stop itch. It is used for headache and dizziness, distending pain of the chest and flanks, blocked milk and breast abscess, red eyes with nebula, and wind-rash itch. Acrid-bitter and slightly warm, it suits Liver depression and wind-heat—not qi and Blood vacuity, or pregnancy without assessment.

How do you choose Bai Ji Li versus Sha Yuan Zi? Can Sha Yuan Zi replace it?

Tribulus is acrid and dispersing: calms the Liver, dispels wind, brightens the eyes and stops itch, leaning to wind-heat red eyes and itch. Flattened milkvetch seed is sweet-warm: supplements the Kidney, secures essence, nourishes the Liver and brightens the eyes, leaning to Kidney-vacuity seminal emission and dim vision. They cannot replace one another by equal weight. Commercial tribulus tea is not equal-weight pieces.

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Learn More About Bai Ji Li

Explore our in-depth article covering the traditional uses, properties, functions, and TCM context of Bai Ji Li.

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Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.