Witnessed by: TCM · Ayurveda
Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), of the Poaceae family. Tough rhizomatous grass with erect leaf-blades and silvery flowering plumes; native range: open ground across Asia, a widespread grass of sun and disturbed soil. Globally recognized as bai mao gen (白茅根) in Chinese, darbha, kusha in Sanskrit, darbh in Hindi, and cogon grass, blady grass, lalang in English. The part used is rhizome. A jointed white rhizome, cool and juicy, near-odourless with a faintly sweet 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.
COGON GRASS
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Cogon grass
- Scientific name
- Imperata cylindrica (L.) Raeusch.
- Family
- Poaceae
Form
- Part used
- rhizome
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- sweet
- Ayurveda
- sweet
Temperature
TCM: cold
Ayurveda: cooling
convergence: both {witness_count} witnesses read it as cooling — a blood-cooling, thirst-quenching diuretic
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Lung · Stomach · Bladder
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- cools the blood and stops bleeding, clears heat from the Lung and Stomach, promotes urination and relieves oedema, and generates fluids to allay thirst
- Ayurveda
- mutrala (diuretic), raktapittahara (checks bleeding of pitta), trishnaghna (relieves thirst), dahaprashamana (cooling), pittashamaka
Cautions
- Contraindications
- cold deficient Spleen with watery stool and no heat sign; kapha-cold conditions
- Toxicity
- very safe and cooling, with no significant toxicity
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