✵This article documents the herb Common Carpesium Fruit, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely one plant species: (1) Carpesium abrotanoides L.—with a detailed description of the botanical characteristics, growth habits, and ecological environment of this species, as well as the macroscopic features of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Fructus Carpesii (Common Carpesium Fruit)
Pinyin Name: Hè Shī
English Name: Common Carpesium Fruit
Latin Name:Fructus Carpesii Properties and Flavor: Neutral in nature; bitter and pungent in taste; slightly toxic
Brief Introduction:Fructus Carpesii is the dried, ripe fruit of Carpesium abrotanoides L., used as an anthelmintic to treat ascariasis, enterobiasis, and taeniasis. It is commonly known as Fructus Carpesii, Common Carpesium Fruit, or Hè Shī. Literally, “Hè Shī” means “lice on cranes.”
Botanical Source: Classical herbal works define Fructus Carpesii (Common Carpesium Fruit) as the dried, ripe fruit of Carpesium abrotanoides L., a perennial herb belonging to the genus Carpesium L., family Asteraceae (Compositae; aster or daisy family), order Campanulales. This widely used species is introduced below:
Carpesium abrotanoides L
Botanical Description: The plant Carpesium abrotanoides L. is commonly known as Tiān Míng Jīng (meaning “bright essence of heaven”). The whole herb is also used medicinally and is known as Tiān Míng Jīng; it is distinct from Hè Shī—the dried, ripe fruit. This perennial herb grows up to 50–100 cm tall. The stem is erect; the upper portion is multi-branched and densely pubescent, while the lower portion is glabrate. Leaves are alternate. Lower leaf blades are broadly elliptic or oblong, 10–15 cm long and 5–8 cm wide; the apex is acute or obtuse; the base tapers and extends into a winged petiole; margins are irregularly serrate or entire; the adaxial surface bears appressed short hairs, while the abaxial surface is covered with pubescence and glandular dots. Upper leaf blades gradually become smaller, oblong, and sessile.
Numerous capitula (flower heads) are axillary and grow along the stem branches; they are short-stipitate or subsessile, 6–8 mm in diameter, and either erect or slightly pendulous. The general involucre is campanulate-spherical. Involucral bracts are arranged in three series: outer bracts are extremely short, ovate, apiculate (pointed), and pubescent; middle and inner bracts are oblong with blunt apices and are glabrous. Flowers are yellow. The corolla of peripheral female flowers is filiform (thread-like) and 3–5-dentate; the corolla of central hermaphroditic flowers is tubular and 5-dentate at the apex.
Achenes are narrowly elongated, bearing fine longitudinal striations; the apex bears a short rostrum (beak), glandular points, and lacks pappus. Flowering occurs from June to August; fruiting occurs from September to October.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows on hillsides, mountain slopes, roadsides, and lawns.
Growth characteristics: The plant prefers a warm, moist, and shady, humid environment. It can be cultivated in mountainous regions, plains, and other suitable areas.
Characteristics of the Herb: The herb is cylindrical and small—3–4 mm long and less than 1 mm in diameter. The surface is yellowish-brown or dark brown, with numerous longitudinal ridges. One end is constricted into a slender beak; the beak expands distally into an ash-gray (grayish-white) circular ring. The opposite end is slightly pointed and bears traces of attachment. The pericarp is thin and fibrous; the spermoderm (seed coat) is thin and transparent; there are two cotyledons, off-white in color and slightly oily. The herb has a distinctive odor and tastes slightly bitter.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Anthelmintic activity against tapeworms and roundworms; (2) Hypothermic and antihypertensive effects in rabbits; (3) Aqueous infusions inhibit or kill various Gram-negative bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Proteus vulgaris; (4) Synergistic potentiation of barbiturates and other central nervous system depressants.
Medicinal efficacy: Expels and kills parasites; resolves food retention and Qi stagnation. Indicated for ascariasis, enterobiasis (oxyuriasis), taeniasis (cestodiasis), parasitic abdominal pain, infantile malnutrition with stagnation syndrome, etc.
Administration of Fructus Carpesii (Hè Shī):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Fructus Carpesii (Hè Shī)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 3–9 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 3–5 qian (≈9–15 grams); or prepared as pills or powder; (3) Internally: predominantly prepared as pills or powder; water decoction, 5–10 grams.
Contraindications, Precautions, and Adverse Reactions: Fructus Carpesii is toxic and contraindicated (should not be used) during pregnancy.
✵This article documents the herb Common Carpesium Fruit, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely one plant species: (1) Carpesium abrotanoides L.—with a detailed description of the botanical characteristics, growth habits, and ecological environment of this species, as well as the macroscopic features of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Hè Shī
Botanical Description: The plant Carpesium abrotanoides L. is commonly known as Tiān Míng Jīng (meaning “bright essence of heaven”). The whole herb is also used medicinally and is known as Tiān Míng Jīng; it is distinct from Hè Shī—the dried, ripe fruit. This perennial herb grows up to 50–100 cm tall. The stem is erect; the upper portion is multi-branched and densely pubescent, while the lower portion is glabrate. Leaves are alternate. Lower leaf blades are broadly elliptic or oblong, 10–15 cm long and 5–8 cm wide; the apex is acute or obtuse; the base tapers and extends into a winged petiole; margins are irregularly serrate or entire; the adaxial surface bears appressed short hairs, while the abaxial surface is covered with pubescence and glandular dots. Upper leaf blades gradually become smaller, oblong, and sessile.
Numerous capitula (flower heads) are axillary and grow along the stem branches; they are short-stipitate or subsessile, 6–8 mm in diameter, and either erect or slightly pendulous. The general involucre is campanulate-spherical. Involucral bracts are arranged in three series: outer bracts are extremely short, ovate, apiculate (pointed), and pubescent; middle and inner bracts are oblong with blunt apices and are glabrous. Flowers are yellow. The corolla of peripheral female flowers is filiform (thread-like) and 3–5-dentate; the corolla of central hermaphroditic flowers is tubular and 5-dentate at the apex.
Ecological Environment: The plant grows on hillsides, mountain slopes, roadsides, and lawns.
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