Compendium of Materia Medica, Volume 15, Herb Section

Herbs of Damp Ground, Part 1

53 Species

Chrysanthemum

Ranked in the "Superior" category of the Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica. Also named "Seasonal Flower." In the Classic, it is called "Female Virtue." In the Additional Records, it is called "Female Flower," "Female Stem," "Essence of the Sun," "Rebirth," "Longevity Prolonger," and "Wall-Healer." In the Erya, it is "Golden Stamen." In the Compendium, it is "Shade-Completion." In the Additional Records, it is "Universal Fullness." Zhen says: According to Lu Dian’s Piya, the character for Chrysanthemum (ju) was originally written with the radical for "to crouch" or "to exhaust" (ju). The Monthly Ordinances states that in the ninth month, the chrysanthemum has yellow flowers. The business of flowering...

...reaches its exhaustion and end at this point, hence it is called Ju The Chinese name Ju (菊) sounds like the word for "exhaustion" (鞠), implying it is the last flower of the year. The name of the flower is taken from its correspondence to the seasonal nodes. Cui Shi’s Monthly Ordinances says: "Female Virtue" and "Female Flower" are names for the chrysanthemum flower. "Wall-Healer" and "Essence of the Sun" are names for the root. Baopuzi The Daoist philosopher Ge Hong says: What the immortal formulas call "Essence of the Sun," "Rebirth," and "Universal Fullness" are all the same chrysanthemum, but the names for the root, stem, flower, and seed differ. Su Song says: The Tang Tianbao Single-Remedy Illustrations records that the White Chrysanthemum originally grew in the valleys and fields of Nanyang. People in Yingchuan call it the "Peak-Returning Chrysanthemum." In Ru’nan, it is called "Tea-Bitter Mugwort." In Shangdang, Jian’an, and Shunzheng prefectures, it is also named.

Collected Explanations

Kou Zongshi says: Chrysanthemums grow in the rivers, marshes, and fields of Yongzhou. Collect the roots in the 1st month, leaves in the 3rd, stems in the 5th, flowers in the 9th, and seeds in the 11th. All should be dried in the shade. Tao Hongjing says: There are two kinds of chrysanthemum. One has a purple stem, a fragrant aroma, and a sweet taste; its leaves can be made into soup—this is the True Chrysanthemum. The other has a large green stem, smells like mugwort or wormwood, and tastes too bitter to eat; it is called "Bitter Coix" Wild chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum indicum and is not the true chrysanthemum. The leaves are very similar; distinguish them only by sweetness or bitterness. They are most abundant in Li County, Nanyang. Today they are found everywhere near roads; they are easily grown from seed. There is also a White Chrysanthemum; the leaves and stems are similar, but the flowers are harvested in the 5th month. The Scriptures of the Immortals consider it to have wonderful effects. Though many can be obtained, it should be taken regularly. Chen Cangqi says: White Chrysanthemums grow on level marshes; they flower in the 5th month and are purplish-white. Su Song says: They are found everywhere. Those from Nanyang, Jing, Ying, and Tan are best. In early spring, they spread across the ground with fine sprouts. They flourish in summer, flower in autumn, and seed in winter. However, there are many varieties. Only those with purple stems, fragrant aroma, and thick, soft leaves are considered tender and edible. Those with slightly large flowers and a very sweet taste are the "True" ones. Those with large green stems, thin leaves, and a pungent smell like mugwort, with small flowers and a bitter taste, are called "Bitter Coix" and are not true. In Nanyang, there are also two kinds: the White Chrysanthemum has leaves as large as mugwort, green stems/leaves, thin roots, white flowers, and yellow stamens. The Yellow Chrysanthemum has leaves like garland chrysanthemum, and both flowers and stamens are yellow. Today, those who prepare medicinal diets mostly use the white ones. There is another kind with small flowers and petals like small pearls underneath, called the "Pearl Chrysanthemum," which is said to be excellent for medicine. Kou Zongshi says: In recent times there are over twenty kinds. Only the one with single petals, small yellow flowers, deep green leaves that are small and thin, and which blooms in the 9th month, is the correct one. The White Chrysanthemum from Dengzhou with single petals is also used in medicine; others are not used in medical classics. Wang Rui says: Large, fragrant flowers are "Sweet Chrysanthemums"; small yellow ones are "Yellow Chrysanthemums"; small ones with a foul smell are "Wild Chrysanthemums." Li Shizhen says: There are hundreds of varieties of chrysanthemum. The perennial roots grow spontaneously. The stems, leaves, and flower colors differ by variety. Song dynasty authors Liu Meng, Fan Zhineng, and Shi Zhengzhi all wrote Chrysanthemum Manuals, yet even they could not include them all. The stems vary between upright, trailing, purple, red, green, or light green. The leaves vary in size, thickness, sharpness, or bluntness. The flowers vary between double-petaled, single-petaled, with centers, without centers, with seeds, or without seeds. Colors include yellow, white, red, purple, variegated, light, and dark. The taste varies between sweet, bitter, and pungent. There are also distinctions between True, Autumn, and Winter chrysanthemums. Generally, only the single-petaled, sweet-tasting ones are used in medicine. The "Sweet Chrysanthemum" of Dengzhou (yellow) and Shuzhou (white) recorded in the manuals are these. Sweet chrysanthemums grow in mountains and wilds, but now everyone cultivates them. The flowers are tiny and the quality is not very high. Those shaped like honeycombs have fine seeds inside and can be planted by pressing them into the soil. Tender leaves and flowers can all be dried and eaten. The White Chrysanthemum has slightly larger flowers and a less sweet taste; it is also harvested in the autumn months. Those without seeds are called "Male Chrysanthemums"; scattering their burnt ashes on the ground can kill a hundred types of insects. Lu Nongshi says this is from the Rites of Zhou.

Flower Leaves, roots, stems, and seeds are the same.

Flavor and Nature

Sweet. Balanced. Non-toxic. The Additional Records says: Sweet. Sun Simiao says: Sweet, bitter, cold. Used in medicine. Bitter ones are not used in medicine. Kou Zongshi says: Bitter, sweet, cold. It can ascend or descend Refers to the movement of Qi in the body; it is the "slight Yang within Yin." Li Shizhen says: The Classic says the taste is sweet and bitter. The Additional Records says it is sweet. Various masters take the sweet one as the "True Chrysanthemum" and the bitter one as "Bitter Coix," using only the sweet for medicine. I respectfully note: Zhang Hua’s Treatise on Curiosities says there are two kinds; the sprouts and flowers look the same, but the taste differs slightly—the bitter is not fit for eating. Fan Zhineng’s Manual Preface says only the Sweet Chrysanthemum is edible and used in medicine and tonics. The other yellow and white flowers are bitter; though not for tonics, they can be used in medicine. For treating "Head-Wind" Chronic headaches or migraines, the white ones are especially good. According to these two accounts, there are naturally sweet and bitter types of chrysanthemums. For food, one must use the sweet; for medicine, all chrysanthemums can be used, provided one does not use the "Wild Chrysanthemum" (also called Bitter Coix). Lei Xiao’s Herdsman’s Chat says: True Chrysanthemum prolongs life; Wild Chrysanthemum causes purging...