All herbs

Asia · Herb · № 703

Gold coin grass (jin qian cao)

Lysimachia christinae (ook Desmodium styracifolium)

Traditionally attributed effects: helps pass kidney and gallstones and drains damp heat from the liver.

Asia · Herb · № 741

Chinese bugleweed (ze lan)

Lycopus lucidus

Traditionally attributed effects: moves the blood and regulates menstruation; diuretic.

Asia · Food · № 635

Chinese yam (shan yao)

Dioscorea polystachya (syn. D. opposita)

Traditionally attributed effects: strengthens spleen, stomach and lungs, helps regulate the hormone system in women and is said to lower blood sugar.

Asia · Herb · № 665

Chinese black cohosh (sheng ma)

Actaea cimicifuga (syn. Cimicifuga foetida)

Traditionally attributed effects: expels wind-heat, helps rashes come out and lifts the energy in prolapse.

Asia · Herb · № 558

Chiretta

Swertia chirata

Traditionally attributed effects: bitter tonic, stomachic, expels worms, laxative, cleansing, antidiarrhoeal, antipyretic; for intermittent fever, skin diseases, intestinal worms, asthma, hiccups and vomiting, gout; scorpion stings.

South America · Herb · № 926

Chiricaspi

Brunfelsia grandiflora

A shrub of the nightshade family up to three metres tall, with fragrant flowers that fade from purple to white. Contains scopoletin, among others, and compounds that cause convulsions in animals. Gives a feeling of cold and tingling, and in larger amounts dizziness and paralysis.

Asia · Food · № 445

Chironji

Buchanania lanzan

Traditionally attributed effects: soothing, cleansing, laxative, diuretic; seeds nutritious, gum for diarrhoea, ointment for itching and skin blemishes, oil for swollen neck glands, substitute for almond oil.

Asia · Herb · № 124

Chrysanthemum (ju hua)

Chrysanthemum × morifolium

The flowers (ju hua) are used in Chinese medicine as a 'cooling' remedy for colds with fever, headaches and tired, red eyes. Clinical evidence is limited.

South America · Herb · № 917

Chuchuhuasi

Maytenus macrocarpa (syn. Monteverdia macrocarpa); in Noord-Peru ook Heisteria acuminata

A large tree with thick, reddish-brown bark. The bark contains triterpenes and sesquiterpenes, among other compounds; extracts were anti-inflammatory in experiments. Studies in people are lacking.

Asia · Herb · № 755

Cibotium (gou ji)

Cibotium barometz

Traditionally attributed effects: strengthens kidney yang, bones and tendons in a stiff, painful lower back and knees.

Europe · Herb · № 225

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Traditionally attributed effects: diuretic, laxative, tonic.

Asia · Mineral · № 797

Cinnabar (zhu sha)

Cinnabaris (kwiksulfide)

Traditionally attributed effects: was used to calm the mind and stop convulsions; contains mercury.

Europe · Herb · № 233

Cypress

Cupressus sempervirens

Traditionally attributed effects: antiseptic, antispasmodic, calming, diuretic.

Asia · Herb · № 760

Cistanche (rou cong rong)

Cistanche deserticola

Traditionally attributed effects: strengthens kidney yang, moistens the bowel and warms the uterus.

Asia · Food · № 221

Lemon

Citrus limon

Traditionally attributed effects: anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, diuretic, strengthens the veins.

Asia · Herb · № 381

Lemongrass

Cymbopogon citratus

Traditionally attributed effects: for oily hair.

Europe · Herb · № 325

Southernwood

Artemisia abrotanum

Traditionally attributed effects: expels worms, antiseptic, bitter, stimulates the uterus.

Europe · Herb · № 85

Lemon balm

Melissa officinalis

Traditionally used for restlessness, sleep problems and a nervous stomach; externally for cold sores. Small studies suggest a mild calming effect, but evidence is limited.

South America · Herb · № 378

Lemon verbena

Aloysia citrodora

Traditionally attributed effects: relaxing, helps you fall asleep.

Asia · Herb · № 777

Cnidium seed (she chuang zi)

Cnidium monnieri

Traditionally attributed effects: externally for itching and fungus around the genitals; internally a kidney yang tonic.

Asia · Herb · № 720

Arisaema rhizome (tian nan xing)

Arisaema heterophyllum (en A. erubescens)

Traditionally attributed effects: dries phlegm and expels wind and phlegm from the meridians in convulsions and paralysis.

South America · Herb · № 183

Coca

Erythroxylum coca

The leaf contains a small amount of cocaine and other alkaloids. Chewing it or drinking it as tea is used in the Andes against hunger, fatigue and altitude sickness; evidence for the latter is limited. Cocaine, the first local anaesthetic and today mainly an addictive drug, was isolated from the leaf.

Asia · Herb · № 639

Codonopsis (dang shen)

Codonopsis pilosula

Traditionally attributed effects: reduces fatigue, supports the production of blood cells and strengthens spleen, stomach and lungs.

South America · Herb · № 984

Cojamba

Helosis cayennensis

A plant without chlorophyll that parasitises the roots of trees and shrubs (family Balanophoraceae). It looks like a young mushroom, until the 'cap' turns out to be a reddish-brown spike full of tiny flowers. Its action has hardly been studied.

North America · Mineral · № 364

Colloidal silver

Silver particles in water. There is no evidence that colloidal silver treats infections, HIV or other diseases; it can, however, cause argyria, a permanent blue-grey discoloration of the skin and organs.

South America · Herb · № 855

Copaiba

Copaifera officinalis en verwante soorten

A tree whose oleoresin is rich in beta-caryophyllene. Used on the skin for inflammation and small wounds; the evidence comes mainly from animal and laboratory studies.

Central America and the Caribbean · Other · № 817

Copal

Protium copal

Resin from tropical trees that is burned as incense at ceremonies.

Asia · Mushroom · № 147

Caterpillar fungus (cordyceps)

Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis)

A fungus that parasitises caterpillars. Used in Tibetan and Chinese medicine for fatigue, lung complaints and low libido. Studies are small and there is no convincing evidence.

South America · Herb · № 913

Corpus way

Gentianella bicolor

A small, very bitter herb of the gentian family, related to hercampuri. Gentians contain bitter compounds that stimulate digestion. Clinical studies are lacking.

Asia · Herb · № 731

Costus root (mu xiang)

Dolomiaea costus (syn. Saussurea lappa, Aucklandia lappa)

Traditionally attributed effects: moves the qi in spleen, stomach, intestine, liver and gallbladder; helps digest tonics.

North America · Food · № 13

Cranberry

Vaccinium macrocarpon

A food berry. Products may help lower recurrent UTI risk for some women, but findings are mixed; it does not treat an existing UTI.

Asia · Herb · № 779

Cremastra (shan ci gu)

Cremastra appendiculata (ook Pleione en Tulipa edulis)

Traditionally attributed effects: externally for swollen glands, lumps, sores and abscesses.

North America · Herb · № 579

Chaparral

Larrea divaricata

Traditionally attributed effects: astringent, stimulating, cleansing, diuretic; detoxifies the liver and body, anti-inflammatory, for arthritis, strengthens bladder and kidneys, externally for haemorrhoids, boils, bedsores and bruises.

Asia · Herb · № 471

Crepe ginger

Costus speciosus

Traditionally attributed effects: bitter, astringent, stimulating, aids digestion, expels worms, cleansing, aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory; for fever with catarrh, cough, indigestion, worms, skin diseases, snake bites.

Asia · Herb · № 473

Croton

Croton oblongifolius

Traditionally attributed effects: bark and root cleansing and promote bile; seeds laxative; bark for sprains and liver diseases, poultices on swellings, for snake bites.

Asia · Herb · № 474

Purging croton

Croton tiglium

Traditionally attributed effects: drastically laxative, irritant, skin-irritant; for stroke, insanity, convulsions, stubborn constipation, worms, ascites, oedema, colic, gout; wood in small doses induces sweating.