Witnessed by: TCM
Centipeda (Centipeda minima), of the Asteraceae family. Small creeping aromatic annual; native range: Asia and Australia, in damp fields and paddy margins. Globally recognized as e bu shi cao (鵝不食草) in Chinese, and sneezeweed, spreading sneezeweed in English. The part used is whole herb. Low mat-forming herb, strongly pungent and sneeze-inducing when crushed.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
CENTIPEDA
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- centipeda
- Scientific name
- Centipeda minima (L.) A.Braun & Asch.
- Family
- Asteraceae
Form
- Part used
- whole herb
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent
Temperature
- TCM
- warm
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Lung
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- expels wind-cold, unblocks the nose and opens the orifices, dispels dampness, dissipates cold, stops cough
Cautions
- Contraindications
- no strong contraindication; the snuff provokes vigorous sneezing
- Toxicity
- large oral doses may cause nausea and vomiting
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