Witnessed by: TCM
Oldenlandia (Hedyotis diffusa), of the Rubiaceae family. Small sprawling annual of moist ground; native range: damp fields and roadsides of southern China and South-East Asia. Globally recognized as bai hua she she cao (白花蛇舌草) in Chinese, and snake-needle grass in English. The part used is whole aerial herb. Wiry stems with narrow paired leaves, faintly bitter and sweet, cool and grassy in taste.
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.
OLDENLANDIA
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- oldenlandia
- Scientific name
- Hedyotis diffusa Willd.
- Family
- Rubiaceae
Form
- Part used
- whole aerial herb
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- bitter · sweet
Temperature
- TCM
- cold
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Stomach · Large Intestine · Small Intestine
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- clears heat and resolves toxicity, drains dampness and reduces abscess, promotes urination
Cautions
- Contraindications
- avoid in cold from deficiency and in pregnancy
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