Witnessed by: TCM
Lygodium (Lygodium japonicum), of the Lygodiaceae family. Climbing fern with twining fronds; native range: thickets and hillsides of southern and eastern China. Globally recognized as hai jin sha (海金沙) in Chinese, and climbing fern spore, sea-gold-sand in English. The part used is mature spores. Fine light-brown powder of spores, weightless and floating on water, nearly tasteless.
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.
LYGODIUM
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- lygodium
- Scientific name
- Lygodium japonicum (Thunb.) Sw.
- Family
- Lygodiaceae
Form
- Part used
- mature spores
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- sweet
Temperature
- TCM
- cold
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Bladder · Small Intestine
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- promotes urination, unblocks painful urinary dribbling, expels stones, drains damp-heat
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution in painful urination or dribbling from Kidney deficiency without damp-heat
- Toxicity
- no significant toxicity in normal use
This is the card. Sign in for the full four-tradition entry — the aligned TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani reading, actions, dosing and cautions.