Witnessed by: TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani
Clove (Syzygium aromaticum), of the Myrtaceae family. Evergreen tropical tree; the spice is its unopened flower bud; native range: the Moluccas, the 'Spice Islands' of eastern Indonesia. Globally recognized as lavanga in Sanskrit, laung in Hindi, ding xiang (丁香) in Chinese, qaranful (قرنفل) in Arabic, and clove flower bud in English. The part used is dried flower bud. Nail-shaped red-brown buds, hard and oily, intensely warm-aromatic and sweet-pungent, leaving a numbing tingle on the tongue and lip.
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.
CLOVE
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Clove
- Scientific name
- Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry
- Family
- Myrtaceae
Form
- Part used
- dried flower bud
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent
- Ayurveda
- pungent (katu) · bitter (tikta)
- Western
- pungent · aromatic
- Unani
- pungent · aromatic
Temperature
- TCM
- warm
- Ayurveda
- cooling (sheeta — the classical virya, though sharp on the tongue)
- Western
- hot
- Unani
- hot & dry (2nd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Spleen · Stomach · Kidney · Lung
- Western
- stomach · digestion · nerves
- Unani
- stomach · brain · heart · liver
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- warms the middle and directs rebellious qi downward to stop hiccup and vomiting, warms the Kidney and assists yang, and disperses cold
- Ayurveda
- deepana-pachana (kindles and completes digestion), hridya (cardiac), kaphaghna, vedanasthapana (analgesic), and eases chhardi (vomiting), trishna (thirst) and kasa (cough)
- Western
- carminative, aromatic stimulant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, and a local anaesthetic and analgesic (oil of cloves)
- Unani
- muqawwi-e-meda (stomach tonic), muqawwi-e-dimagh (brain tonic), muqawwi-e-qalb (cardiac tonic), kaasir-e-riyah (carminative), habis (astringent)
Cautions
Contraindications: high pitta and heat states, peptic ulcer and acid dyspepsia; large medicinal doses in pregnancy; undiluted clove oil on mucous membranes
Toxicity: clove oil (eugenol) in excess irritates skin and mucosa and is hepatotoxic — accidental ingestion of the oil by children has caused liver injury and depressed consciousness
Interactions
- Western
- anticoagulants: eugenol inhibits platelet aggregation, adding to bleeding risk · hepatotoxic drugs: high-dose clove oil is hepatotoxic, compounding strain on the liver
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