Witnessed by: TCM
Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorum), of the Campanulaceae family. Perennial with balloon-like buds opening to blue star flowers; native range: China, Korea, Japan and eastern Siberia. Globally recognized as jie geng (桔梗) in Chinese, and Chinese bellflower, platycodon in English. The part used is root. White fleshy taproot, sweetish then acrid, faintly bitter on chewing.
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.
BALLOON FLOWER
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- balloon flower
- Scientific name
- Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A.DC.
- Family
- Campanulaceae
Form
- Part used
- root
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- bitter · pungent
Temperature
- TCM
- neutral
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Lung
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- opens and disperses Lung qi, expels phlegm and benefits the throat, drains pus, guides other herbs upward
Cautions
- Contraindications
- not for cough from Yin deficiency or coughing of blood; caution in ulcer and large dose may induce nausea
- Toxicity
- regarded as safe in normal dose
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