Dianthus, Qu Mai 瞿麦 Fringed Pink, Liliac PinkQu Mai (TCM)Smyug ma me tok སྨྱུག་མ་ མེ་ ཏོཀ (Tibetan Medicine) Dianthus superbusPalmstruch, J.W., Svensk botanik (1802-1838) Dianthus superbus(Photo by Orchi) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Dianthus spp.: D. superbus (Official) D. chinensis (Official) D. amurensis D. versicolor Parts used: Whole Herb or flowering tops (best)Flowers are used in Tibetan…
Bambusa Succus, Zhu Li 竹沥 Bambusa Caulis, Zhu Ru 竹茹 Bamboo Sap: Zhu Li (TCM)Bamboo Shavings: Zhu Ru (TCM) Bambusa tuldoidesCamus, E.G., bambusées, Atlas (1913) Phyllostachys bambusoides(Photo by Marco Schmidt) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Bamboo species including the following: Bambusa tuldoides, B. emeiensis Sinocalamus beecheyanus var. pubescens Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis, P. bambusoides, P. pubescens Parts…
Bupleurum, Chai Hu, 柴胡 Hare’s Ear, Chinese ThoroughwaxChai Hu (TCM)Bod skyes zi ra ser po བོད་སྐྱེས་ཟི་ར་སེར་པོ་ (B. falcatum, Tibetan Medicine) B. falcatumIllustration by James Sowerby (Wikimedia) Bupleurum scorzonerifolium(Photo by Лобачев Владимир) (Wikimedia) Buleurum aureum(Photo by Convallaria majalis) (Wikimedia) Cut Bupleurum Chai Hu (Adam 2023) Botanical name: Bupleurum spp.A number of species supply the market: B….
Lacca Laksha, Lakh (Ayurveda)Luk (Arabic)Rgya skyegs རྒྱ་སྐྱེགས (Tibetan Medicine)Zi Cao Rong (TCM) Gum Lacca with one of the source tressMuseum Museorum, Valentini, 1704 Aromaticum et Simplicium Aliquot, de Orta, 1579 Lacca; Lacca on stick (top); interior of Lacca showing eggs (second from top) (Chengdu Medicine Market, Adam, 2016) Close-up of the raw Lacca containing Egg chambers.(Adam,…
Chamomila, Camomile Bubunaj (Unani) Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485 Matricaria AnthemisIcones Plantarum Medcio-oeconomico, Vietz, 1800 MatricariaBotanische wandplaten, 1904–1914 Matricaria recutitaKoehler’s Medizinal Pflanzen, 1887 Anthemis nobilisAn Encyclopaedia of useful and ornamental Plants, Burnett, 1852 Botanical name: Anthemis nobilis–Garden or Roman CamomileMatricaria recutita (syn. M. camomilla)–German Camomile (most used) Parts used: Flowers Temperature & Taste: Cool (mildly Warm…
Myrtus, Myrtle Myrtle, Clove Myrtle, Spanish MyrtleHabb-ul-Ass, Muurad (Unani) Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578 Two varieties of MyrtusKreutterbuch, Matthiolus, 1586 Myrtus communis(Photo by Javier martin) (Wikimedia) Myrtle berries(Photo by Giancarlo Dessì) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Myrtus communis Parts used: Leaves, Fruit (‘berries’), SeedLeaf was more commonly used internally, berries mostly externally“Small shoots of its roots are most potent”….
Epimedium, Yin Yang Huo 淫羊藿 ‘Horny Goat Weed’, EpimediumYin Yang Huo (TCM) Epimedium pubescens(Photo by Stan Shebs) (Wikimedia) Epimedium sagittatum(Photo by Qwert1234) (Wikimedia) Epimedium koreanumPhotos by Dalgial European E. alpinum is very similar in appearance to the Chinese varieties.Flora von Deutschland (12), Kohler, 1883 Botanical name: Epimedium spp.Several species are used: E. brevicornum E. sagittatum…
Lloydia serotina, Rtswa a wa རྩྭ་ཨ་ཝ Snowdon LilyRtswa a wa, A wa (Tibetan Medicine) Lloydia serotinaW. Baxter, British phaenogamous botany, (1834-1843) Lloydia serotina(Photo by Qwert1234) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Lloydia serotina (syn. L. serotina var. serotina, L. alpina, L. himalalensis, Bulbocodium serotinum) Parts used: Aerial parts Temperature & Taste: Cool, dry. Bitter Uses: 1. Clears Liver…
Ammi, Bishop’s Weed, Ajowan Ameos, Ethiopian Cumin, Alexandrian Cumin, Cuminum RegiumNankhuah, Ajwain (Unani)Aatrilal (Ammi majus, Unani)Ajowan, Ajwain, Yavani (Ayurveda) Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578 Salmon, Botanologia, 1710 Left: Ammi copticum; Right: A. majusIcones Plantarum Medcio-oeconomico, Vietz, 1806 Trachyspermum ammi(Photo by Sanjay ach) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Several plants supply Ammi: Trachyspermum ammi (syn. T. copticum, Ammi copticum, Carum…
Daphne genkwa, Yuan Hua 芫花 Lilac Daphne flower budYuan Hua (Flora Japonica, P. Franz von Siebold and J. G. Zuccarini, 1870) Daphne genkwa in flower(Photo by Andrey Zharkikh, cropped) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Daphne genkwa Parts used: Flower; the Root is also used Temperature & Taste: Warm, dry. Bitter, Pungent. Toxic Classification: E. Cathartics Uses: 1….
Calotropis, Swallow-wort Vasuka, Mandara, Arka (Ayurveda)Aak, Madar, Ushr (Unani) The Botanical Register, Edwards & Lindley, 1815 Calotropis gigantea(Photo by ShahadatHossain) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Calotropis gigantea, C. procera Parts used: Root bark, juice, flower Temperature & Taste: Hot, dry. Pungent, Bitter. ToxicAvicenna said Hot in the 2nd Degree but Dry in the 4th Degree.Caustic, burning, rubefacient…
Sapindus, Soap nut, Arishtaka Arishtaka (Ayurveda)Maghz e Bunduq, Post e Ritha (Unani)Puvamkottai (Siddh) SapindusR. Wight, Illustrations of Indian botany, vol. 1 (1840) Soap Nut (Calcutta Unani College, Adam, 2019) Botanical name: Sapindus laurifolius (syn. S. trifoliatus), S. mukorossi, S. emarginatus, S. detregens, S. rubiginosus Parts used: Pericarp of the Fruit; sometimes the kernel Temperature &…
End of content
End of content