Quick Facts
| Latin Name | Fructus Tritici Levis |
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| Chinese Name & Pinyin | 浮小麥 · Fu Xiao Mai |
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| Medicinal Part | Fruits and seeds |
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| Efficacy Category | Astringent |
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| Botanical Origin | The dried light, shriveled caryopsis of Triticum aestivum L. (Poaceae) that floats in water. |
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| Nature & Flavour | Sweet; Cool |
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| Channels Entered | Heart |
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What Is Fu Xiao Mai?
Fu Xiao Mai (Light Wheat) is a medicinal herb of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Collected wherever wheat is grown in China, especially Henan, Shandong and Hebei.
Nature & Flavour: Sweet; Cool
Channels Entered: Heart
Fu Xiao Mai: Materia Medica Profile
Identification & Quality Standard
Fructus Tritici Levis
Botanical Origin
The dried light, shriveled caryopsis of Triticum aestivum L. (Poaceae) that floats in water.
Production Regions
Collected wherever wheat is grown in China, especially Henan, Shandong and Hebei.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is uniformly light, yellowish-white, and free of heavy full grains.
Macroscopic Features
Shrunken oblong grains, light enough to float; externally yellowish-white; hollow or incompletely filled.
Traditional TCM Properties
Sweet; CoolHeart
Traditional Functions
Augments qi, clears heat, and stops sweating. Apply to spontaneous sweating and night sweating from qi or yin deficiency.
How Fu Xiao Mai Is Used in TCM
In the Chinese materia medica, Fu Xiao Mai is classified among the Astringent herbs. It appears in 1 classical formulas in our library.
Formulas containing Fu Xiao Mai are traditionally used for:
Anxiety RestlessnessInsomniaEmotional Depression
Classical Formulas Containing Fu Xiao Mai
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fu Xiao Mai? Are wheat, Mai Ya and Ma Huang Gen the same?
Fu Xiao Mai (浮小麦) is the dried light, shriveled fruit of Triticum aestivum. The standard name is Tritici Levis Fructus; it is listed in the ministerial crude-drug standard, not plump food wheat. Mai Ya is germinated barley: moves qi, disperses food and stops lactation. Ma Huang Gen is sweet-neutral: secures the exterior and stops sweating; it is the root of ephedra, not the herb. Write Fu Xiao Mai. Use caution when an exterior pathogen is not cleared.
What are the TCM properties and traditional uses of Fu Xiao Mai?
The ministerial standard records Fu Xiao Mai as sweet, salty and cool, entering the Heart channel, and acting to boost qi, stop sweating and eliminate heat. It is used for spontaneous sweating, night sweating, yin-vacuity fever and steaming-bone taxation heat. Sweet-salty, cool and astringing, it suits vacuity sweating and steaming bone—not an uncleared exterior pathogen, vexation without sweating, or collapse sweating.
Does Fu Xiao Mai need special processing? Can food wheat replace it?
After harvest, collect the light shriveled grains and sun-dry them. Slight dry-frying is preferred for stopping sweat. Plump wheat is a food; it cannot replace constraining sweat and eliminating heat by equal weight. Germinated barley disperses food and stops lactation—the opposite direction. Commercial blighted-wheat tea is not equal-weight pieces.
Learn More About Fu Xiao Mai
Explore our in-depth article covering the traditional uses, properties, functions, and TCM context of Fu Xiao Mai.
Read the Fu Xiao Mai Guide →
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.
