Medicinals
jī guān huā / 鸡冠花 / 雞冠花 / cockscomb [flower]
Latin pharmacognostic name: Celosiae Cristatae Flos
Alternate English names:
Alternate Chinese names: 鸡冠 jī guān; 鸡冠头 jī guān tóu
Origin: Plant
Use: medicinal
Category: Blood-stanching agents / Blood-cooling blood-stanching agents
Properties: Sweet and astringent; cool; nontoxic*.
Channel entry: liver and large intestine channels.*
Indications:
- Cools the blood and stanches bleeding: Vomiting of blood (blood ejection); coughing of blood; blood strangury; flooding.
- Checks vaginal discharge and diarrhea: Red and white vaginal discharge; diarrhea; red and white dysentery.
Dosage & Method:
Oral: Decoct (4.5–9g); use in pills and powders. Topical: Decoct as a wash or steam-wash.
Product Description:
This is a short-stemmed inflorescence, which has the appearance of a cock's crest. The upper part, usually reddish brown in color, is composed of glandular hairs, which are small buds. The lower part comprises dense flowers, each with grayish-white membranous bracts and perianths. The capsules are split and the seeds are kidney-shaped, black, and shiny.
Etymology:
The literal meaning of the Chinese name jī guān huā 鸡冠花 is identical to that of the English name cockscomb.