Root of Stemona sessilifolia Fusiform, the upper end relatively slender, shrunken and curved, 5-12 cm long, 0.5~1 cm in diameter. Externally yellowish-white or pale brownish-yellow, with irregular longitudinal deep furrows, and occasionally transverse wrinkles. Texture fragile, easily broken, fracture even, horny, pale yellowish-brown or yellowish-white, bark broad, stele compressed. Odour, slight; taste, sweet and bitter.
Root of Stomona japonica Two ends slightly thinned. Externally mostly with irregular longitudinal folds and transverse wrinkles.

Root of Stemona tuberose Long fusiform or long slatshaped ,8~24 cn long, 0.8~2 cm in diameter. Externally yellowish-brown to grayish-brown, with shallow longitudinal wrinkles or irregular longitudinal furrows. Texture compact, fracture yellowish-white or dark brown, stele large, pith whitish.

Acute and chronic cough, cough in phthisis, whooping cough; external use: for pediculosis capitis, pediculosis corporis, oxyruiasis, pudendal itching.

Radix Stemonae (Stir-baked with honey) Cough in phthisis.

1.Moistening the lung to relieve cough

This drug can be used to treat cough due to exopathogens or cough which occurs after common cold. This drug is warm rather than dry in nature and can be used to treat both initial or longlasting cough, being much effective for the latter. It is often used in combination with Radix Astragali,Radix Platycodi, Herba Schizonepetae,etc. In treating long-lasting cough due to deficiency of the lung, the drug can be used in combination with Radix Adenophorae Strictae, Radix Astragali seu Hedysari, Bulbus Lilii, etc. In treating cough with bloody sputum due to impairment of the lung caused by overstrain (tuberculosis of the lung with cavitation), the drug can be used in combination with Rhizoma Bletillae, Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii, Radix Notoginseng, etc. In recent years, this drug is made into syrup to be used to treat whooping cough in children.

2.Destroying louse and parasites

The infusion of the drug can be applied externally to treat head louse, body louse, pubic louse and clothes louse (not effective against louse eggs). When sprayed, the drug can destroy bedbug. When taken orally, the drug can be used to treat enterobiasis; and the disease can also be treated by washing the anus with the decoction of the drug.