（上蒲八切，下弃八切。《别录》中品）
【释名】菝 （同 ）、金刚根（《日华》
时珍曰∶菝 ，犹KT KT 也。KT KT ，短也。此草茎蔓强坚短小，故名菝 。
而江浙人谓之菝 根，亦曰金刚根，楚人谓之铁菱角，皆状其坚而有尖刺也。郑樵《通志》
云∶其叶颇近王瓜，故名王瓜草。
【集解】《别录》曰∶生山野。二月、八月采根，曝干。
弘景曰∶此有三种，大略根苗并相类。菝 茎紫而短小，多细刺，小减萆 而色深，人
用作饮。
恭曰∶陶云三种，乃狗脊、菝 、萆 相类，非也。萆 有刺者，叶粗相类，根不相类；
萆细长而白色，菝
根作块结，黄赤色，殊非狗脊之流。
颂曰∶今近道及江浙州郡多有之。苗茎成蔓，长二、三尺，有刺。其叶如冬青、乌药叶
而差大。秋生黄花，结黑子如樱桃大。其根作块，人呼金刚根。
时珍曰∶菝 山野中甚多。其茎似蔓而坚强，植生有刺。其叶团大，状如马蹄，光泽似
柿叶，不类冬青。秋开黄花，结红子。其根甚硬，有硬须如刺。其叶煎饮酸涩。野人采其根
叶，入染家用，名铁菱角。《吴普本草》以菝 为狗脊，非矣。详见狗脊下。
根
【气味】甘、酸，平、温，无毒。
【主治】腰背寒痛，风痹，益血气，止小便利（《别录》）。治时疾瘟瘴（大明）。补肝经
风虚（好古）。治消渴，血崩，下痢（时珍）。
【发明】时珍曰∶菝 ，足厥阴、少阴药。气温味酸，性涩而收，与萆 仿佛。孙真人
元旦所饮辟邪屠苏酒中亦用之。
颂曰∶取根浸赤汁，煮粉食，辟瘴。
【附方】新五。
小便滑数∶金刚骨为末。每服三钱，温酒下，睡时。（《儒门事亲》方）
取去
根本∶用菝 二两，为末。每米饮服二钱。后以地椒煎汤浴腰腹，须臾即通也。（《圣济录》）
消渴不止∶菝谷即菝 ， 咀半两，水三盏，乌梅一个，煎一盏，温服。（《普济方》）
下痢赤白∶金刚根、蜡茶等分。为末，白梅肉捣丸芡子大。每服五、七丸，小儿三丸，
白痢甘草汤下；赤痢乌梅汤下。（《卫
风毒脚弱，痹满上气，田舍贫家用此最良∶菝 （洗锉）一斛。以水三斛
渍曲去滓，取一斛渍饮，如常酿酒。任意日饮之。（《肘后方》）
（“菝”音bá，上声；“葜”音qiā，去声。《名医别录》列为中品）
李时珍说：菝葜这个名字，是形容其茎蔓短小坚硬的样子。“KT KT”（拟声/状貌词，指短促坚固），意为短小。这种草的茎蔓强劲、坚硬且短小，所以名叫菝葜。江浙一带的人叫它菝葜根，也叫金刚根；楚地的人叫它铁菱角，这些都是形容它质地坚硬且有尖刺的特点。郑樵在《通志》中说：它的叶子很像王瓜的叶子，所以名叫王瓜草。
【集解】《名医别录》记载：生长在山野之中。二月和八月采集根部，晒干。
陶弘景说：这种植物有三种，大致根和苗都相似。菝葜的茎呈紫色且短小，有很多细刺，比萆薢稍小但颜色更深，人们用它来煮水饮用。
苏恭说：陶弘景说的三种，其实是狗脊、菝葜、萆薢三者相混淆了，这是不对的。有刺的萆薢，叶子看起来粗糙相似，但根部不相似；萆薢的根细长且呈白色，而菝葜的根结成块状，呈黄红色，完全不是狗脊那一类的植物。
苏颂说：现在靠近京城的地方以及江浙各州郡都有很多。幼苗茎干长成藤蔓，长二、三尺，带有刺。叶子像冬青或乌药的叶子但稍大一些。秋天开黄花，结出像樱桃大小的黑色果实。根部结成块状，人们称之为金刚根。
李时珍说：菝葜在山野中非常多。它的茎像藤蔓但坚强，直立生长并有刺。叶子团大而圆，形状像马蹄，光泽度像柿叶，不像冬青。秋天开黄花，结红色果实。根部非常硬，有像刺一样的硬须。叶子煎煮后饮用味道酸涩。乡下人采集它的根叶，放入染坊使用，名叫铁菱角。《吴普本草》把菝葜当作狗脊，是错误的。详见狗脊条目下。
【气味】味甘、酸，性平、温，无毒。
【主治】腰背寒冷疼痛，风痹症，补益气血，止小便频数（出自《名医别录》）。治疗时行疫病和瘴气（出自《大明本草》）。补肝经因风虚引起的病症（出自李好古）。治疗消渴症，血崩，痢疾（李时珍自述）。
【发明】李时珍说：菝葜是足厥阴肝经、足少阴肾经的药物。气温味酸，性质涩而有收敛作用，与萆薢类似。孙思邈在元旦饮用的辟邪屠苏酒中也使用了它。
【附方】新收录五首。
小便滑数不禁：将金刚根（即菝葜根）研成末。每次服用三钱，用温酒送服，睡前服用。（出自《儒门事亲》方）
去除根本（指彻底治愈某种顽固病症或排出病根）：用菝葜二两，研成末。每次用米汤送服二钱。之后用地椒煎汤洗浴腰腹部，片刻后即可通畅。（出自《圣济录》）
消渴不止：菝谷即菝葜，切碎半两，加水三盏，乌梅一个，煎至一盏，温服。（出自《普济方》）
下痢赤白：金刚根、蜡茶等分。研成末，用白梅肉捣烂制成如芡实大小的丸药。每次服用五、七丸，小儿服用三丸，白痢用甘草汤送服；赤痢用乌梅汤送服。（出自《卫济宝书》）
风毒导致脚弱，痹痛胀满兼有气喘，田舍贫苦人家使用此法最良：菝葜（洗净锉碎）一斛。用水三斛浸泡曲药，去掉渣滓，取一斛液体用来浸泡酿酒原料，像平常酿酒一样制作。任意日子饮用即可。（出自《肘后备急方》）
(Bá qiē, xiā qiē. "Zhongpin" in *Bielu*).
[Names] Baqia (same as 𦮼), Jinganggen (Diamond Root) (*Ri Hua Bencao*).
Li Shizhen stated: The name "Baqia" describes the short and firm nature of its stems. "KT KT" is an onomatopoeic/descriptive term meaning short and firm. This herb has strong, hard, and short creeping stems, hence the name Baqia. In the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, it is called Baqia root or Jinganggen; in the Chu region, it is called Tie Lingjiao (Iron Water Chestnut), all referring to its hardness and sharp thorns. Zheng Qiao in *Tongzhi* said: Its leaves are quite similar to those of Trichosanthes cucumerina (Wanggua), hence the name Wangguacao.
[Collection and Explanation] *Bielu* states: Grows in mountains and wilds. Roots are harvested in February and August and dried in the sun.
Tao Hongjing stated: There are three varieties, generally similar in roots and shoots. Baqia has purple, short stems with many fine thorns, slightly smaller than Dioscorea hypoglauca (Bixie) but darker in color, used by people for brewing drinks.
Su Gong stated: Tao's mention of three varieties confuses Cibotium barometz (Gouji), Baqia, and Bixie, which is incorrect. The thorny Bixie has rough leaves that look similar, but the roots are different; Bixie roots are slender and white, whereas Baqia roots form lumps, yellowish-red, completely unlike Cibotium.
Su Song stated: It is abundant near the capital and in various prefectures of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The seedlings grow into vines, two to three chi long, with thorns. The leaves resemble those of Ilex cornuta (Dongqing) or Lindera aggregata (Wuyao) but are larger. Yellow flowers appear in autumn, bearing black fruits the size of cherries. The roots form lumps, called Jinganggen by people.
Li Shizhen stated: Baqia is very common in the wild. Its stems are vine-like but strong and erect, with thorns. The leaves are round and large, shaped like horse hooves, glossy like persimmon leaves, not resembling Dongqing. It blooms yellow flowers in autumn and bears red fruits. The roots are very hard, with hard bristle-like rhizomes. Decoction of the leaves tastes sour and astringent. Rural people harvest its roots and leaves for use in dyeing workshops, calling it Tie Lingjiao. *Wu Pu Bencao* incorrectly identifies Baqia as Cibotium (Gouji). See the entry for Cibotium for details.
Root
[Properties and Flavors] Sweet, sour; neutral, warm; non-toxic.
[Indications] Cold pain in the lower back and back, wind-bi syndrome, tonifying blood and qi, stopping frequent urination (*Bielu*). Treating epidemic febrile diseases and miasma (*Daming Bencao*). Tonifying liver channel deficiency due to wind (*Haogu*). Treating Xiao Ke (wasting-thirst), metrorrhagia, and dysentery (Li Shizhen).
[Elucidation] Li Shizhen stated: Baqia enters the Foot Jueyin Liver and Foot Shaoyin Kidney channels. Its temperature is warm, flavor sour, nature astringent and contracting, similar to Bixie. Sun Simiao also used it in the Tusu wine drunk on New Year's Day to ward off evil spirits.
Su Song stated: Soaking the root to extract red juice and boiling it with starch to eat can prevent miasma.
[Attached Prescriptions] Five new prescriptions.
Frequent and slippery urination: Powder the Jingang root (Baqia root). Take 3 qian each time, washed down with warm wine, before sleep. (Prescription from *Rumen Shiqin*)
Removing the root cause: Use 2 liang of Baqia, powder it. Take 2 qian each time with rice water. Afterwards, bathe the waist and abdomen with decoction of Zanthoxylum bungeanum (Dijiao); patency will be achieved shortly. (From *Shengji Lu*)
Unremitting Xiao Ke: Baigu, which is Baqia, chopped half liang, add 3 zhan of water and one dark plum (Wumei), decoct to 1 zhan, take warm. (From *Puji Fang*)
Dysentery with red and white discharge: Equal parts Jingang root and wax tea. Powder them, mix with flesh of white plum to make pills the size of Euryale ferox seeds (Qianzi). Take 5-7 pills each time, children take 3 pills; wash down white dysentery with licorice decoction, red dysentery with dark plum decoction. (From *Weiji Baoshu*)
Wind-tox causing weak legs, bi-sensation, fullness, and upward Qi rebellion; best for poor rural families: One hu of Baqia (washed and chopped). Soak Qu (yeast starter) in 3 hu of water, remove dregs, take 1 hu of liquid to soak ingredients for brewing, as usual. Drink at any time. (From *Zhouhou Beifang*)