瓜蒂 (guādì): the pedicel and calyx of a musk…

Meanings

1 the pedicel and calyx of a muskmelon (used as a Traditional Chinese Medicine ingredient)
2 melon stem

Characters

瓜

stem of a fruit/flower

Examples

瓜蒂在中药里有催吐的作用。

Guādì zài zhōngyào lǐ yǒu cuītù de zuòyòng.

Melon pedicel is used in TCM as an emetic.

中医师告诉他，瓜蒂的剂量要小心控制。

Zhōngyīshī gàosù tā, guādì de jìliàng yào xiǎoxīn kòngzhì.

The TCM doctor told him to carefully control the dosage of melon pedicel.

Tips

culture

Recorded in the Han-dynasty 神农本草经 (Shénnóng Běncǎo Jīng, 'Shennong's Herbal Classic'). The dried, bitter, yellow-brown melon-stem part is used in small doses to induce vomiting; classical recipes pair it with 赤小豆 (chìxiǎodòu, 'adzuki bean') in the formula 瓜蒂散 (guādì sǎn).