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One of five complexions of distinct color but desiccated, withered, and lacking in sheen, observed when visceral qì is bad and exposed. Plain Questions (素问 sù wèn, wǔ zàng shēng chéng) describes the true visceral complexions as follows: that of the liver as green-blue as the color of new shoots of grass; that of the spleen as yellow like unripe bitter orange (Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, 枳实 zhǐ shí); that of the kidney as black as as cinders; that of the heart as red as coagulated blood; and that of the lung as white as dry bones. Thus if the eyes and face and the whole body are dry and desiccated like yellow earth or like dried unripe bitter orange, this is the true visceral complexion of the spleen, indicating that the spleen and stomach are vanquished (critically weakened); the true visceral color of spleen and stomach is thus exposed on the outside of the body.

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