What are the effects and uses of Feather Cockscomb? A complete guide in one article
Feather Cockscomb (Celosia argentea) is a medicinal herb, and it is mostly grown for use in traditional Chinese medicine. What are its effects and uses? Here is a detailed introduction.
Feather Cockscomb is an annual herb, 0.3-1 m tall, entirely hairless; flowering period May-August, fruiting period June-October. Its seeds are called Celosia seeds (Qingxiangzi) and can be used as medicine to clear liver fire, improve eyesight and kill parasites; the whole plant clears heat and removes dampness; the tender stems and leaves are used as vegetables and fodder. The seeds contain about 15% oil; the oil is edible but has an odor. It prefers a warm, humid climate. It is not demanding about soil, and cultivation on fertile, well-drained sandy soil is preferable. It dislikes waterlogging, and low-lying land is not suitable for planting.
The leaves of Feather Cockscomb are oblong-lanceolate, lanceolate or lanceolate-linear, a few ovate-oblong, 5-8 cm long and 1-3 cm wide; green often tinged with red, apex acute or acuminate, with a small mucro, base attenuate; petiole 2-15 mm long, or leaves sessile.
The flowers of Feather Cockscomb are numerous and densely arranged, forming a single, unbranched, tower-shaped or cylindrical spike at the tip of the stem or branches, 3-10 cm long; bracts and bracteoles lanceolate, 3-4 mm long, white, shiny, apex acuminate, prolonged into a fine awn, with 1 midvein raised on the back; tepals oblong-lanceolate, 6-10 mm long, initially white with red tips, or entirely pink, later becoming white, apex acuminate, with 1 midvein raised on the back; filaments 5-6 mm long, the free part about 2.5-3 mm long, anthers purple; ovary shortly stipitate, style purple, 3-5 mm long.
Effects of Celosia seeds: Celosia seeds are the dried ripe seeds of the amaranth family plant Celosia argentea. Effects and uses of Celosia seeds. Celosia seeds can clear heat and purge fire, improve eyesight and remove eye films. Alternative names for Celosia seeds include Caojiuming, Yeijiguanhuazi, Gouweibazi and Niuyibahuazi. For eye diseases due to liver deficiency, they should not be used alone; patients with dilated pupils or glaucoma are forbidden to take Celosia seeds. Alternative names: Caojiuming, Yeijiguanhuazi, Gouweibazi, Niuyibahuazi. Nature and flavor: bitter, slightly cold. Meridian entry: enters the Heart and Liver meridians. Effect classification: heat-clearing drugs, wind-dispelling drugs. Effects: clear the liver and improve eyesight, clear heat and purge fire, improve eyesight and remove eye films.
Main indications: red, swollen and painful eyes; eye films; blurred vision; hypertension; nosebleed; wind-heat itching of the skin; sores and ringworm. Effects and uses of Celosia seeds. Usage and dosage: internal use: decocted in water, 5-15 g; or made into pills or powders. External use: appropriate amount, ground into powder and applied mixed with liquid, or pounded to extract juice and instilled into the nose. Source: Celosia seeds are the dried ripe seeds of the amaranth family plant Celosia argentea.
Uses of Celosia seeds: Celosia seeds treat dizziness due to liver fire. By clearing and purging liver fire to calm liver yang, this product can be used to treat headache, dizziness and restlessness with insomnia caused by liver yang transforming into fire, often combined with abalone shell, gardenia and Prunella vulgaris. Celosia seeds treat red eyes due to liver heat, eye films and blurred vision. This product is bitter, cold, clearing and descending, and specializes in clearing excess fire of the liver meridian to improve eyesight and remove eye films; for red, swollen and painful eyes, eye films, blurred vision and the like caused by liver fire flaring upward, it can be combined with cassia seeds, fructus Leonuri and antelope horn, as in Celosia Pill; if combined with rehmannia, figwort and plantain seed, it can treat blurred vision due to liver deficiency and blood heat, as in Celosia Pill; if combined with dodder seed, cistanche and Chinese yam, it can treat impairment of liver and kidney with dim, dry eyes, as in Lufeng Huanqing Pill. Celosia seeds treat headache due to wind: Celosia seeds 5 qian to 1 liang. Decoct in water and take. Celosia seeds treat tearing eyes due to wind-heat: Celosia seeds 5 qian, stewed with chicken liver and taken. Celosia seeds treat nosebleed that will not stop: instill the juice of Celosia seeds into the nose. Celosia seeds treat night blindness and eye films: Celosia seeds 5 qian, black jujube 1 liang. Brew with boiling water and stew, take before meals.
The above is a related introduction to the effects of Feather Cockscomb; I hope it is helpful to you.