Reniform, slightly flattened, 3-5 mm long, 2-4 mm wide, about 1.5 mm thick. Externally black, blackish-brown or greyish-brown, with finely reticulate wrinkles. Apex obtuse-rounded, with a small prominence and the depressed end showing a scar of fruit stalk. Texture hard. Pericarp thin, uneasily stripped from seed; seed 1, cotyledons 2, yellowish-white, oily. Odour, aromatic; taste, pungent and slightly bitter.

Impotence, seminal emission; enuresis, frequent urination; aching of the loins and knees with cold sensation; asthma in deficiency syndromes of the kidney; diarrhea occurring before dawn daily. Externally use for vitiligo and alpecia areata.

1. Tonifying kidney-Yang, arresting seminal emission and reducing urination.

In treating impotence, seminal emission, frequent micturition, enuresis, coldness and pain of low back and knee, etc. due to deficiency of kidney-Yang, the herb is often used in combination with Semen Cuscutae, Radix Dipsaci, Rhizoma Dioscoreae, Herba Epimedii, etc.

2. Warming the spleen to arrest diarrhea

3. In treating deficiency of spleen and kdney rming the spleen to arrest diarrhea

In treating deficiency of spleen and kidney Yang manifested by diarrhea before dawn with borborygmus and abdominal pain which are alleviated after diarrhea, the herb is often used in combination with Semen Myristicae.

Besides, the herb is used in combination with Juglandis Regiae, Mel, etc. to treat cough and asthma due to cold of deficiency type.