False daisy (Eclipta prostrata)
Eclipta prostrata
Chinese and Ayurvedic herbalism
Chinese and Ayurvedic herbalism

False daisy

Eclipta prostrata

Also known as eclipta, bhringaraj, trailing eclipta, mo han lian, white eclipta, kehraj, bhringraj, yerba de tago, mò hàn lián, hēi hàn lián, hàn lián cǎo.

CoolingMoisteningWarmingDryingTaste: SweetTaste: SourTaste: BitterTaste: Pungent

Mo han lian is a low, spreading annual daisy of wet ground, rice field margins and ditches throughout tropical and warm temperate Asia, now a weed in warm regions worldwide. Its crushed stems turn black, hence the Chinese name that means ink daisy and the Sanskrit name bhringaraja, king of hair. The whole flowering herb is used, fresh or dried. It sits in two great traditions at once: in Chinese medicine as a cool, gentle yin tonic that also stops bleeding, and in Ayurveda as bhringaraj, a rejuvenative for hair, liver and skin.

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Actions

Yin tonic to liver and kidneyHemostaticCools the bloodHepatoprotective (preclinical, traditional)Hair growth promoting (preclinical, traditional)Diuretic and mild hypotensive (pilot trial)Anti-inflammatory (preclinical)Antivenom adjunct (preclinical)Rasayana (Ayurvedic rejuvenative)HepatoprotectiveCholagogueHair tonicAnti-inflammatoryAntioxidantAntimicrobialAntivenom (traditional, topical)Mild laxativeNervine tonicHypolipidemicImmunomodulator

Indications what the tradition reached for it in

Specific indications

A middle-aged patient graying early, with thinning hair, dry eyes, low back ache and a red, thin tongue, who needs a gentle, cool yin tonic that can be taken for months

Recurrent nosebleeds or heavy, bright red menses in a slim, warm, restless patient with night sweats, where cooling the blood and nourishing yin are needed together

Safety

The record lists 6 contraindications; open the plate in the library to read them in full.

In practice

In Chinese practice mo han lian is nearly always paired with nu zhen zi (Ligustrum) in the two-solstice pill for the yin-deficient patient with graying hair, dizziness, dry eyes and low back ache, a combination mild enough for months of use.

In Ayurveda

Rasa: tikta (bitter), katu (pungent). Virya: ushna (heating). Vipaka: katu (pungent). Dosha: pacifies kapha and vata; used with care in high pitta because of its heating potency, though it is cooling to the blood in Chinese medicine.

In Chinese medicine

Temperature: cool. Taste: sweet, sour. Channels: Kidney, Liver. Actions: Nourishes and tonifies liver and kidney yin; Cools the blood and stops bleeding; Darkens hair and steadies the teeth by supporting kidney essence.

Dosing as the sources wrote it

PreparationAs writtenMetric
Decoction6-12 g dried herb daily in decoction6000-12000 mg
Fresh juice (Ayurvedic)10-20 mL fresh juice once or twice daily10-20 mL
Powder (churna)2-4 g dried herb powder twice daily2000-4000 mg
Tincture (1:5, 40%)2-4 mL three times daily2-4 mL
Hair oilleaf-infused sesame or coconut oil massaged into the scalp two to three times weekly
Swarasa10-20 mL fresh juice once or twice daily with honey10-20 mL

Doses are reproduced from the sources for practitioners and are not a recommendation for any person.

From the sources

Overview. Mo han lian is a low, spreading annual daisy of wet ground, rice field margins and ditches throughout tropical and warm temperate Asia, now a weed in warm regions worldwide. Its crushed stems turn black, hence the Chinese name that means ink daisy and the Sanskrit name bhringaraja, king of hair. The whole flowering herb is used, fresh or dried. It sits in two great traditions at once: in Chinese medicine as a cool, gentle yin tonic that also stops bleeding, and in Ayurveda as bhringaraj, a rejuvenative for hair, liver and skin.

Overview. Eclipta prostrata is a low, spreading annual herb of the daisy family with small white button flowers, growing as a weed of wet ground, rice field margins and ditches throughout the plains of India and across the tropics. Ayurveda knows it as Bhringaraja, the king of the hair, and prizes it in two roles: as the premier herb for the hair and scalp, cooked into oils, and as a rasayana for the liver, given as fresh juice for jaundice and enlarged liver and spleen. The whole plant is used, ideally fresh.

Clinical Notes. In Chinese practice mo han lian is nearly always paired with nu zhen zi (Ligustrum) in the two-solstice pill for the yin-deficient patient with graying hair, dizziness, dry eyes and low back ache, a combination mild enough for months of use.

Clinical Notes. The Ayurvedic practitioner uses Bhringaraja most often through the head. Bhringaraja taila, the juice cooked into sesame or coconut oil, is massaged into the scalp for hair fall, graying, dandruff and the hot head of pitta, and a few drops are put into the nose as nasya for headache, sinus congestion and poor sleep.

In formulas

False daisy stands in 35 documented formulas in the library, among them ning xuè tàng, wu zĩ tāng, er zhì wán, Pūgakhaṇḍa, Aśoka Ghṛta, Kayyonnyādi Taila.

Often paired with

Indian gooseberryPhyllanthus emblicasesameSesamum indicumIndian barberryBerberis aristatanut grassCyperus rotundusguduchiTinospora cordifolianirgundiVitex negundo

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