Herb

Qing Xiang Zi

Celosia seed | 青葙子

Also known as:

Cao Jue Ming (草决明) , Niu Wei Hua Zi (牛尾花子) , Gou Wei Ba Zi (狗尾巴子)

Qing Xiang Zi

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Properties

Heat-clearing herbs · Cool

Traditionally supports*

Eye Health and Vision Blood Pressure Support Liver Health Skin Health

Parts Used

Seed (种子 zhǒng zǐ / 子 zǐ / 仁 rén)

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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About This Herb

Traditional Chinese Medicine background and properties

Herb Description

Celosia seed is a cooling herb used primarily for eye problems caused by excessive heat in the Liver, such as red, swollen, painful eyes, cloudy vision, or corneal opacities. It is also used to help manage high blood pressure associated with Liver-related headaches and dizziness. First recorded in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, it remains a key herb in Chinese ophthalmology.

Herb Category

Heat-clearing herbs Herbs that clear Heat and drain Fire (清热泻火药) Herbs that clear Liver Heat and brighten the eyes

Main Actions

  • Clears Liver fire and drains heat
  • Brightens the Eyes and Removes Visual Obstructions
  • Disperses Wind-Heat
  • Lowers Blood Pressure

How These Actions Work

'Clears Liver fire and drains heat' means this herb cools down excessive heat that has built up in the Liver system. In TCM, the Liver 'opens to the eyes,' so when Liver fire flares upward, it commonly causes red, swollen, painful eyes, irritability, headaches, and dizziness. Qīng Xiāng Zǐ's bitter and cool nature makes it especially effective at draining this type of excess heat downward and out of the body. It is considered one of the key herbs for Liver-fire eye conditions.

'Brightens the eyes and removes visual obstructions' refers to its ability to treat corneal opacities (翳膜 yì mó), blurred or dim vision, and excessive tearing. In classical Chinese ophthalmology, 'visual obstructions' are cloudy films or opacities that develop on the surface of the eye, often from prolonged heat or wind-heat attacking the eyes. This herb helps clear these obstructions and restore visual clarity.

'Dispels wind-heat' means it can address conditions where external wind-heat invades the body and rises to the head and eyes, causing acute eye redness, pain, tearing, or headache. This is why it is often combined with herbs like Chrysanthemum flower and Mulberry leaf for wind-heat eye problems.

'Lowers blood pressure' reflects its modern clinical application for hypertension that presents with Liver fire or Liver Yang rising patterns, typically showing as headache, dizziness, facial flushing, and irritability. Clinical trials have shown it can meaningfully reduce blood pressure in these cases.

Patterns Addressed

In TCM, symptoms cluster into recognizable patterns of disharmony that reveal what's out of balance in the body. Qing Xiang Zi is traditionally associated with these specific patterns.

The following describes this herb's classification within Traditional Chinese Medicine theory and is provided for educational purposes only.

Why Qing Xiang Zi addresses this pattern

Qīng Xiāng Zǐ is bitter and cool, entering the Liver channel, which makes it ideally suited to clear excess Liver fire. Its bitter taste drives heat downward while its cool nature directly counteracts the flaring heat of this pattern. Because the Liver opens to the eyes, Liver fire blazing upward characteristically attacks the eyes, causing redness, swelling, and pain. Qīng Xiāng Zǐ specifically targets this fire-eye connection and is considered a key herb (要药 yào yào) for Liver-heat eye diseases. It also addresses the headaches, dizziness, and irritability that accompany Liver fire.

A practitioner would look for one or more of these signs

Red Eyes

Red, swollen, painful eyes from Liver fire flaring upward

Headaches

Headache with distending pain, especially at the temples

Dizziness

Dizziness and vertigo from fire rising to the head

Irritability

Irritability and restlessness accompanying Liver fire

TCM Properties

Temperature

Cool

Taste

Bitter (苦 kǔ)

Channels Entered
Liver
Parts Used

Seed (种子 zhǒng zǐ / 子 zǐ / 仁 rén)

This is partial information on the herb's TCM properties. More detailed information is available on the herb's dedicated page

Product Details

Manufacturing, supplier, and product specifications

Product Type

Granules

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Botanical & Sourcing

Quality Indicators

Good quality Qing Xiang Zi seeds are uniformly flattened-round in shape, approximately 1-1.5 mm in diameter and 0.5 mm thick. The surface should be black and distinctly shiny, with a smooth, glossy appearance. Under magnification, a fine rectangular net-like pattern should be visible. The side of the seed has a small concave hilum (seed scar). The seed coat is thin and brittle, with a white interior. Commercial material sometimes retains a yellowish-white cap-like fruit shell on top, with a fine thread-like style about 4-5 mm long. Avoid seeds that are dull, brownish, shriveled, or excessively mixed with fruit shell debris. Full, plump, uniformly black and shiny seeds indicate the best quality.

Primary Growing Regions

Qing Xiang Zi grows wild throughout nearly all of China, with no single strongly defined dao di (terroir) region. It is commonly found in Hebei, Shandong, and throughout the Yangtze River basin provinces (Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan). It also grows across Southeast Asia and tropical Africa. The plant is not typically cultivated for medicinal purposes on a large scale, as wild-harvested material is abundant along roadsides and field margins.

Harvesting Season

Autumn (July to October), when the fruits have matured. The above-ground parts or fruit spikes are cut, sun-dried, and the seeds are threshed out, cleaned of debris, and dried.

Supplier Information

Treasure of the East

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Miscellaneous Info

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Usage & Safety

How to use this herb and important safety information

Important Medical Disclaimer

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice or to replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. This herb is a dietary supplement and has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking other medications. Discontinue use and consult your healthcare provider if you experience any adverse reactions.

Recommended Dosage

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Traditional Dosage Reference

Standard

9–15g

Maximum

Up to 30g (1 liang) in short-term decoction for acute conditions such as high blood pressure, under practitioner supervision. Standard clinical use should remain within 9-15g.

Notes

Use the standard range of 9-15g for most eye conditions involving Liver Heat, such as red, painful, or swollen eyes and visual clouding. For hypertension with Liver fire, some traditional sources report using up to 30g (one liang) as a decoction divided into three daily doses. When combined with Liver and Kidney tonifying herbs (such as Gou Qi Zi or Tu Si Zi) for deficiency patterns with residual Heat, a lower dose of 6-9g may be appropriate, and the stir-fried form (chao Qing Xiang Zi) is preferred as it moderates the cold nature while improving extraction of active constituents.

Processing Methods

Processing method

Dry-fry the clean seeds in a pot over low heat until they make popping sounds and release a fragrant aroma, then remove and allow to cool.

How it changes properties

Stir-frying moderates the cold nature of the raw herb, making it less likely to damage the Stomach with prolonged use. It also cracks the hard seed coat, improving the extraction of active constituents during decoction. The Liver-fire-clearing action is somewhat reduced compared to the raw form, but the eye-brightening and opacity-removing actions are preserved.

When to use this form

Preferred when treating chronic eye conditions like corneal opacities and dim vision where long-term use is needed and the harsh cold nature of the raw form might weaken digestion. Also used when there is some underlying Liver-Kidney deficiency combined with residual heat, especially in the formula Qīng Xiāng Wán from the Yī Zōng Jīn Jiàn.

Toxicity Classification

Non-toxic

Qing Xiang Zi is classified as non-toxic in most standard Materia Medica references, including the Ming Dynasty Ben Cao Gang Mu and the standard modern textbook formulations. However, the Baidu Baike entry notes the herb as 'you du' (有毒, toxic), which likely reflects older classical categorizations rather than the modern Chinese Pharmacopoeia standard. The seed oil contains compounds that cause pupil dilation (mydriasis), which is the primary safety concern rather than systemic toxicity. At standard doses (9-15g in decoction), no significant toxic effects are documented. The main risk is pharmacological: inappropriate use in patients with dilated pupils or glaucoma can worsen those conditions. The whole plant contains significant amounts of oxalic acid (up to 12.5% in young plants), but this applies to the aerial parts rather than the seeds used medicinally.

Contraindications

Caution

Liver and Kidney deficiency eye conditions (肝肾不足目疾): Qing Xiang Zi is strongly cooling and draining, making it suitable only for excess-Heat patterns of the eyes. In eye diseases caused by Liver and Kidney deficiency rather than excess Heat, this herb can further deplete the underlying deficiency and worsen the condition.

Avoid

Dilated pupils or glaucoma: Qing Xiang Zi has a pharmacologically demonstrated pupil-dilating (mydriatic) effect through its seed oil. It is contraindicated in patients with already dilated pupils or angle-closure glaucoma, as further dilation could dangerously increase intraocular pressure.

Caution

Spleen and Stomach deficiency-Cold: As a bitter and cool herb, Qing Xiang Zi can injure the Spleen and Stomach when there is underlying Cold-deficiency. Patients with poor appetite, loose stools, or cold limbs should avoid this herb or use it only briefly with appropriate warming herbs.

Special Populations

Pregnancy

No specific pregnancy contraindication is documented in the classical or modern literature for Qing Xiang Zi. However, its bitter and cold nature means it should be used cautiously during pregnancy, as strongly cooling and draining herbs can potentially disturb the developing fetus. Pregnant women should only take this herb under practitioner guidance and for clear excess-Heat indications.

Breastfeeding

No specific data exists on the transfer of Qing Xiang Zi constituents into breast milk. Given its bitter and cold properties, it may theoretically reduce milk production if used in large doses or over prolonged periods, as bitter-cold herbs can suppress Spleen and Stomach function, which supports lactation in TCM theory. Use only when clearly indicated, at standard doses, and for limited duration during breastfeeding.

Pediatric Use

Qing Xiang Zi may be used in children at reduced doses appropriate to age and body weight, typically one-third to one-half of the adult dose. Because of its bitter-cold nature, it should only be used for clear excess-Heat eye conditions in children and for short durations. Its pupil-dilating effect requires the same caution as in adults. Not suitable for infants or toddlers without specific practitioner guidance.

Drug Interactions

Antihypertensive medications: Qing Xiang Zi has demonstrated blood-pressure-lowering activity in both traditional clinical observation and modern pharmacological studies. Concurrent use with antihypertensive drugs may result in additive hypotensive effects. Blood pressure should be monitored if this herb is used alongside such medications.

Mydriatic or pupil-affecting ophthalmic drugs: The seed oil has a documented pupil-dilating (mydriatic) effect. Caution is advised when using alongside ophthalmic medications that affect pupil size, particularly anticholinergic eye drops (e.g., atropine, tropicamide), as effects may be additive.

Hypoglycemic agents: Preclinical research suggests potential blood-sugar-lowering activity. Although clinical significance is uncertain, patients on insulin or oral hypoglycemic medications should be aware of possible additive effects.

Dietary Advice

While taking Qing Xiang Zi, avoid excessively greasy, fried, or spicy foods that can generate more Liver Heat and counteract the herb's cooling, clearing action. Cold and raw foods should also be moderated if the patient's Spleen function is weak, since the herb's bitter-cold nature already taxes digestion. Light, easily digestible foods that support the Liver such as leafy green vegetables and chrysanthemum tea are complementary.

Cautions & Warnings

Although this herb is typically safe for most individuals, it may cause side effects in some people. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, postpartum women, and those with liver disease should use the formula with caution.

As with any Chinese herbal remedy, it is advisable to seek guidance from a qualified TCM practitioner before beginning treatment.