Chrysanthemum flower is used orally in formulas for the treatment of headache, dizziness, blurry vision, tears induced by exposure to wind, photophobia, chronic glaucoma, tinnitus, hearing loss, weak eye sight. It has been shown to have cardiotonic, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antipyretic actions.
History
Ju hua first appeared for medicinal use in the “Divine Husbandman’s Classic of the Materia Medica” (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing) written by an unknown author or authors in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220CE). It said of chrysanthemum that “protracted taking may disinhibit the blood and qi, make the body light, slow aging, and prolong life.” In the modern Chinese Materia Medica guides, chrysanthemum is listed among the cooling herbs that “release the exterior”.
Botanical outline
The name “chrysanthemum” is derived from the Greek words chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower). The plant grows from 60-150cm tall with erect stems whose upper parts are densely branched wiht dense gray pubescence. It has a simple, alternate leaf, ovate to lanceolate wht serrated margin. The capitulum is terminal of axillary 2.5 to 5cm in diameter. The flowers were originally yellow but have been hybridised to many colours. Usually propagated through root division and grafting. Chrysanthemums like warm, sunny sandy areas. They grow in many areas of China especially Hangzhou and Anhui provinces. The flowers are harvested in mid to late October and dried.
Medicinal properties
TCM: Bitter, sweet and slightly cold, Chrysanthemum sinense enters the Lung and Liver channels. It expels Wind and clears Heat, cools and tonifies the Liver, brightens the eyes and clears toxins.Used for common cold with Wind Heat, headache and dizziness, red eyes with swollen and painful lids, blurred vision.
General: Dilates the coronary arteries and increases coronary blood flow. It has a suppressing effect on staphyloccccus areus, bacillus dysenteriae, funguses, influnza viruses and leptospira. The fliwer and stem contain volatile oils including borneol, bornyl acetate, camphor. chrysanthemon, thymol; amino acids and flavonoids such as luteolin, apigenin, quercitrin and cosmosiin.