Witnessed by: TCM · Unani

Asian plantain (Plantago asiatica), of the Plantaginaceae family. Low rosette perennial with ribbed ovate leaves and slender flower spikes; native range: East and Central Asia — China, Korea, Japan and the Russian Far East; a common weed of paths and waste ground. Globally recognized as che qian cao (车前草); seed che qian zi (车前子) in Chinese, lisan-ul-hamal (لسان الحمل) in Arabic, and Chinese plantain, ripple-seed plantain in English. The part used is seed (che qian zi) and whole herb (che qian cao). Broad, strongly ribbed leaves in a flat rosette; the tiny brown seeds turn mucilaginous and swell when wetted.

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.

ASIAN PLANTAIN

IDENTITY

Name

Common: Asian plantain
Scientific name: Plantago asiatica L.
Family: Plantaginaceae

Form

Part used: seed (che qian zi) and whole herb (che qian cao)

PROPERTIES

Nature

Taste

how the plant declares itself on the tongue

TCM: sweet · bland
Unani: astringent · bland

Temperature

TCM: cold
Unani: cold & dry (2nd degree)

Affinity

where in the body it travels

Organs / channels

TCM: Kidney · Liver · Lung · Small Intestine
Unani: intestines · lungs · kidneys

PRACTICE

Virtue

Actions

TCM: promotes urination and drains damp-heat, brightens the eyes and benefits vision, expels phlegm from the Lung, and separates the clear from the turbid to check diarrhoea; the fresh herb clears heat, cools the blood, resolves toxicity and stops bleeding
Unani: qabiz (astringent), habis (checks flux and bleeding), mudammil-e-quruh (wound-healing) and musakkin (allays inflammation)

Cautions

Contraindications: TCM — deficiency without damp-heat, and spermatorrhoea or frequent clear urination from Kidney weakness; use with care in pregnancy
Toxicity: essentially non-toxic

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