Witnessed by: TCM
Cnidium (Cnidium monnieri), of the Apiaceae family. Annual umbelliferous herb of moist ground; native range: damp fields and riverbanks throughout China. Globally recognized as she chuang zi (蛇床子) in Chinese, and snake's bed seed, Monnier's snowparsley in English. The part used is fruit. Tiny ridged twin fruits, warmly aromatic, acrid and bitter.
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.
CNIDIUM
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- cnidium
- Scientific name
- Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson
- Family
- Apiaceae
Form
- Part used
- fruit
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent · bitter
Temperature
- TCM
- warm
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Kidney
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- warms the Kidney and fortifies yang, dries dampness and dispels wind, kills parasites and stops itching
Cautions
- Contraindications
- contraindicated in yin deficiency with heat, damp-heat patterns, and hyperactive fire
- Toxicity
- considered slightly toxic; avoid excessive internal doses
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