Xi Xian Cao豨莶草
Siegesbeckiae Herba · Siegesbeckia Herb · St. Paul's Wort
Overview
The aerial parts of siegesbeckia, cut in flower and dried. Bitter and cold, it is one of the few wind-damp herbs that is cooling rather than warming, which makes it the choice when joints are hot and swollen rather than cold and stiff. Processing changes it substantially: raw, it stays cold and is used for heat-toxin sores, damp itching rashes and hot bi; steamed or fried with wine nine times over in the classical method, it turns from a cooling herb into one that supplements Liver and Kidney and strengthens the sinews and bones, and in that form it is used for chronic bi, weak legs and post-stroke weakness. It also has a long-standing reputation for calming the dizziness and headache of rising Liver yang.
Nature & Flavor
Acrid, bitter · ColdChannels
Liver · KidneyTypical Dosage
9–12 g in decoctionActions
4 core actions
- Dispels wind-damp, frees the jointsWind-damp bi with hot, swollen, painful joints; numbness and difficulty flexing and extending.
- Resolves toxicity, stops itchingDamp-heat sores and boils, weeping eczema and itchy rashes — the raw herb, taken internally or used as a wash.
- Supplements Liver and Kidney, strengthens sinew and boneThe wine-processed herb only: chronic bi with weak, sore lower back and knees, numbness and weakness after stroke.
- Calms rising Liver yangDizziness and headache with irritability where Liver yang is rising; a traditional adjunct in raised blood pressure, alongside conventional monitoring.
In Formulas
Formulas containing Xi Xian Cao
No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.
Indications & Clinical Uses
- Wind-damp bi, especially with hot swollen joints
- Numbness of the limbs, difficulty bending and stretching
- Damp-heat sores, boils, weeping eczema and itching
- Chronic bi with weak lower back and knees (wine-processed)
- Dizziness and headache from rising Liver yang
Western Medical Keywords
Searchable condition terms
Contraindications
Cautions
The raw herb is genuinely cold: it is unsuitable for cold-deficiency patterns, for a weak Spleen with loose stools, and for bi pain that improves with warmth — those cases need the wine-processed form or a different herb entirely. Large doses can cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort, so keep to the prescribed amount. It is also depleting over long courses where yin and blood are already insufficient. If it is being used as an adjunct in raised blood pressure, keep taking your prescribed medication and keep measuring — this herb does not replace either.
Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction on record — practitioner judgment applies.
For licensed practitioners’ reference only
References
- Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
2. 《中华人民共和国药典》.
3. 《中药大辞典》.
Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.