Common Name: She Chuang Zi

General Information

Cnidium monnieri is an annual plant producing a single, usually erect stem from a thin taproot around 2 - 3mm thick; the plant usually grows 10 - 60cm tall, occasionally to 80cm[, ].
Known as She Chuang Zi in Chinese medicine, where the plant has a long history of effective use in the treatment of skin conditions and a range of other diseases. The plant is also used as a flavouring in food. It is harvested from the wild for local use and for trade, and the plant is also cultivated both for medicinal use and as a food flavouring[].

Known Hazards

One report says that the plant is slightly toxic[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Asia - western Siberia (Krasnoyarsk) to the Russian Far East, south through Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea to India, Bangladesh and Vietnam

Habitat

Field edges and the sides of ditches in China[]. Riparian meadows and field margins in most of China[]. Damp inundated or solonetzic meadows, shores of lakes and rivers, weeds of fields[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Judging by the plants native habitat it is likely to require a well-drained soil in a sunny position. One report says that it is an annual whilst another says that it is perennial[, ].

Edible Uses

The leaves are used as a condiment[, , ].
Young shoots[]. No further details are given, but some caution is suggested because of a report of slight toxicity.

Medicinal

She Chuang Zi has been used for thousands of years in Chinese herbal medicine. It is mainly used externally as a lotion, powder or ointment for treating skin conditions such as eczema, ringworm and scabies, and is also used to alleviate pain and inflammation, improve sexual potency, and to improve bone strength[, ].

The seed is antipruritic, aphrodisiac, antirheumatic, astringent, carminative, discutient, sedative, vermifuge and vulnerary[, , ]. A decoction is used internally in the treatment of Trichomonas vaginitis, leucorrhoea and uterine displacement[]. The seed is also used in the treatment of impotence, often in conjunction with Schisandra chinensis[]. It has been shown to have an action similar to the sex hormones, prolonging and reviving the copulation period, increasing the weight of the uterus and ovary, prostate gland and testicle[].
A decoction of the seed or whole plant is applied externally to skin problems including weeping eczema[].

Over 300 active compounds have been isolated from this plant and the main bioactive constituents appear to be coumarins compounds[].
Further research has reported the potential application of this plant for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and osteoporosis[].

Other Uses

An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a humectant and skin conditioner[].
The powdered seed is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an abrasive, a masking agent and a skin protector[].

Propagation

Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing it as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Alternatively, sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.