This product is the capitulum of the perennial herbaceous plant Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) of the Asteraceae family. Depending on the place of origin, flower color, and processing methods, it is further divided into White Chrysanthemum Flower, Chrysanthemum Flower, and Chu Chrysanthemum Flower. It is mainly produced in provinces such as Zhejiang, Anhui, Henan, and Sichuan. The flowers are harvested during the blooming period and dried in the shade for use.

bubble_chart Properties and Meridians

Acrid, sweet and bitter, slightly cold. Act on lung and liver meridians.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Releasing exterior with pungent-cool, soothing the liver and improving vision, clearing heat and removing toxins. For releasing exterior with pungent-cool, chrysanthemum flower is often used. For soothing the liver and improving vision, Chu Chrysanthemum Flower is commonly used.

bubble_chart Indications

1. Used for wind-heat common cold, fever, and headache. This product is light and reaches the surface, with a clear and floating qi, slightly cold to clear heat, and is particularly effective in releasing the exterior with pungent-cool properties. Therefore, it is commonly used to treat wind-heat common cold or the initial stages of warm disease, where warm pathogens invade the lungs, causing fever, headache, and cough. It is often used in combination with Mulberry Leaf, Forsythia, Mentha, Platycodon Root, etc., such as in Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Decoction.
2. Used for red eyes and blurred vision. This product excels in dispersing wind and clearing heat, clearing the liver and draining fire, and also benefits yin to improve vision. Therefore, it can be used to treat red, swollen, and painful eyes caused by wind-heat in the liver channel or liver fire attacking upward. It is often combined with Mulberry Leaf, Cassia Seed, Gentian, Prunella, etc., to achieve the effect of dispersing wind, clearing heat, and improving vision. If there is liver and kidney deficiency with dim and blurred vision, it is often paired with Barbary Wolfberry Fruit, Prepared Rehmannia Root, Cornus Fruit, etc., such as in Wolfberry and Chrysanthemum Rehmannia Pill, to nourish water and moisten wood, and benefit yin to improve vision.
3. Used for vertigo and infantile convulsions. This product is cold in nature and enters the liver channel, capable of clearing heat and calming the liver. Therefore, it is used with Abalone Shell, Nacre, Achyranthes Root, etc., to treat ascendant hyperactivity of liver yang, headache, and vertigo. It is also combined with Antelope Horn, Uncaria, Peony Root, etc., to treat convulsive syncope and convulsions due to the internal stirring of liver wind, such as in Antelope Horn and Uncaria Decoction.
4. Used for boils and sores. This product is sweet and cold, benefiting yin, clearing heat, and removing toxins, especially effective in resolving boils and sores. Therefore, it is used to treat boils and sores, often combined with Lonicera and Raw Liquorice Root, such as in Ganju Decoction.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Benjing: "Mainly treats dizziness, swelling and pain, eyes feeling like they are about to burst, and tearing."
2. Yaoxing Lun: "Treats wind-heat in the head and eyes, dizziness and fainting, pain in the skull bones, all wandering winds in the body, disperses them, and benefits the blood vessels."
3. Bencao Biandu: "Calms the liver and soothes the lungs, clears pathogenic heat in the upper energizer, treats eye diseases by dispelling wind, and nourishes yin and the kidneys."

bubble_chart Usage and Dosage

Decoct and take 10-15g.

bubble_chart Modern Pharmacology

This product contains volatile oil, which includes borneol, camphor, chrysanthemum oil cycloketone, etc. In addition, it also contains chrysanthemum glycosides, adenine, choline, japanese betony herb alkaloids, trace amounts of vitamin A, vitamin B₁, amino acids, and robinin, among others.

1. 1:1～1:5 Chrysanthemum Flower water extract or decoction has certain antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus, various pathogenic bacteria, and skin fungi; at high concentrations, it also inhibits influenza virus PR3 and Leptospira.
2. Chrysanthemum Flower preparations can dilate the coronary arteries, increase coronary blood flow, enhance myocardial oxygen consumption, and have a hypotensive effect. They also inhibit capillary permeability, providing anti-inflammatory effects.
3. Chrysanthemum Flower extract administered orally has antipyretic effects on artificially induced fever in rabbits.