Witnessed by: TCM · Western · Unani
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), of the Lamiaceae (Labiatae) family. Evergreen aromatic shrub with needle-like leaves; native range: Rocky coasts and scrub of the Mediterranean basin. Globally recognized as mi die xiang (迷迭香) in Chinese, iklil al-jabal (إكليل الجبل) in Arabic, and dew of the sea, compass plant in English. The part used is leaf and flowering tops. Stiff resinous needles, dark above and silver beneath, releasing a warm camphoraceous pine-like scent, pungent and slightly bitter.
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.
ROSEMARY
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Rosemary
- Scientific name
- Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.
- Family
- Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
Form
- Part used
- leaf and flowering tops
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent
- Western
- aromatic · pungent · bitter
- Unani
- pungent · aromatic · bitter
Temperature
- TCM
- warm
- Western
- warm
- Unani
- hot (hot & dry, 2nd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Spleen · Lung
- Western
- nervous system · circulation · stomach · liver
- Unani
- brain · nerves · heart · stomach
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- aromatically moves qi and awakens the spleen, warms and disperses, calms the spirit and eases headache
- Western
- nervine and cerebral stimulant, carminative, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, diaphoretic, tonic to circulation
- Unani
- muqawwi-e-dimagh (brain tonic), mufarreh (exhilarant), muqawwi-e-meda (stomach tonic), mohallil, mudir-e-haiz (emmenagogue), jali
Cautions
Contraindications: pregnancy in medicinal dose (emmenagogue), epilepsy and high heat states; the concentrated oil internally
Toxicity: the essential oil in quantity is irritant and can provoke convulsions; the leaf as food and tea is safe
Interactions
- Western
- anticoagulants: theoretical additive antiplatelet effect at high intake
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