Witnessed by: TCM
Chinese elder (Sambucus chinensis), of the Adoxaceae (formerly Caprifoliaceae) family. Coarse herbaceous perennial or subshrub with pinnate leaves and flat-topped cymes bearing curious yellow nectar-cups among the small white flowers; native range: China, Japan and Southeast Asia, on hill slopes, roadsides, stream banks and the edges of thicket. Globally recognized as shuo diao (蒴藋) · lu ying (陸英) in Chinese, and Chinese elder, Chinese elderberry, herbaceous elder in English. The part used is aerial parts; root. A rank-smelling herb, the crushed leaf unpleasant; the taste sweetish at first and bitter after.
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.
CHINESE ELDER
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Chinese elder
- Scientific name
- Sambucus chinensis Lindl.
- Family
- Adoxaceae (formerly Caprifoliaceae)
Form
- Part used
- aerial parts; root
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- sweet · bitter (slight)
Temperature
- TCM
- neutral
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Liver
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- dispels wind and drains damp, invigorates the blood and disperses stasis, promotes urination and reduces swelling, and knits the sinews and bones after injury
Cautions
- Contraindications
- avoided in pregnancy for its blood-moving reach
- Toxicity
- the raw plant, like its elder kin, carries cyanogenic glycosides and may irritate; large or raw doses bring nausea, vomiting and loose stool
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