✵This article documents the herb Shepherd’s Purse, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavors, botanical source—namely, a single plant species: (1) Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., along with a detailed description of its botanical characteristics, growth habits, ecological environment, macroscopic features of the dried herb, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Herba Capsellae (Shepherd’s Purse)
Pinyin Name: Jì Cài
English Name: Shepherd’s Purse
Latin Name:Herba Capsellae Properties and Flavors: Cool, sweet, slightly bland
Brief Introduction:Herba Capsellae is the dried whole plant of Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. It is used (1) as a blood-cooling hemostatic agent for menorrhagia, postpartum hemorrhage, and hematuria; and (2) as a diuretic for nephritic edema and hypertension. Commonly known as Shepherd’s Purse or Jì Cài, Herba Capsellae.
Botanical Source: Classical herbal works—including major authoritative materia medica—define Herba Capsellae (Shepherd’s Purse) as the dried whole plant of Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., a species belonging to the genus Capsella Medik., family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae, the mustard family), order Brassicales. This widely used species is described below:
(1) Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik.
Botanical Description:Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. is also known as Thlaspi bursa-pastoris L. and commonly called Jì Cài. It is an annual or biennial herb, growing 20–50 cm tall. The taproot is cylindrical or conical, sometimes branched, 4–10 cm long; its surface is whitish or pale brown, bearing numerous bearded lateral roots that are often curved or partially broken, and colored pale brown or milky white. Stems are erect and branched, sparsely covered with simple or branched hairs. Basal leaves form a rosette, petiolate, with petioles 5–40 mm long; leaf blades are lyrate, up to 12 cm long and 2.5 cm wide; the terminal lobe is largest, ovate to ovate-oblong (5–30 mm long); lateral lobes occur in 3–8 pairs, smaller, narrow, rounded to ovate, with acuminate apices and shallowly lobed or irregularly coarsely serrated margins. Cauline leaves are narrow-lanceolate, 1–2 cm long and 2–15 mm wide, auriculate and amplexicaul at the base, with incised or serrate margins; both surfaces are pubescent or glabrous.
Racemes are terminal or axillary, elongating up to 20 cm in fruiting; sepals are oblong; petals are white, spatulate or obovate, 2–3 mm long, with short claws.
Silicles are obovate-triangular or obcordate-triangular, 5–8 mm long and 4–7 mm wide, flattened, glabrous, with an emarginate apex; the lobes exhibit reticulate venation; a short style remnant persists; the style is ~0.5 mm long; pedicels are 5–15 mm long. Seeds are finely obovate, grow on false septa in two rows; they are oblong, ~1 mm long, and light brown (sandy beige). Flowering and fruiting occur from April to June.
Ecological Environment: Native to Anatolia and Eastern Europe, this species is now cosmopolitan. It is predominantly distributed across temperate regions worldwide and prefers warm climates but exhibits strong cold tolerance. It grows wild on hillsides, mountain slopes, fields, and roadsides—and is also cultivated.
Characteristics of the Herb: The taproot is cylindrical or conical, sometimes branched, 4–10 cm long; its surface is off-white or hazel, bearing numerous whisker-like lateral roots. The stem is slender, yellowish-green, and brittle. Rosette leaves are pinnately divided (lyrate), often curled, lanceolate when flattened, with large terminal lobes and coarsely serrated margins; surfaces are sage green or dull yellow, occasionally tan (light brown), papery in texture, and fragile. Cauline leaves are oblong or linear-lanceolate, auriculate and amplexicaul at the base. The fruit is obtriangular (inverted triangular), flattened, with an emarginate apex and a short persistent style. Seeds are minute, obovate, inserted on the false septum (pseudoseptum), arranged in two rows. The herb has a faint odor and a mild taste.
Medicinal Efficacy: Invigorating the spleen and resolving dampness, clearing liver heat, promoting hemostasis, calming liver-yang, improving vision, clearing heat, and promoting diuresis. It is indicated for dysentery, edema, gonorrhea, chyluria, epistaxis (nasal bleeding or bleeding from the orifices or subcutaneous tissues), hemoptysis, hematemesis (vomiting blood), hematuria (blood in urine), hematochezia (passage of blood in stool), metrorrhagia, menorrhagia, bloody and mucoid dysentery, nephritis-associated edema, red and painful eyes, retinal hemorrhage, and hypertension.
Administration of Herba Capsellae (Jì Cài):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Herba Capsellae (Jì Cài)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally:water decoction, 1.5–3 qian (approximately 4.5–9 grams); fresh herb, 1–2 liang (approximately 30–60 grams); or prepared as pills or powdered herb. External use: apply finely ground herb powder topically; apply mashed herb topically; or instill extracted juice into the eyes. (2) Internally: water decoction, 15–30 grams; fresh herb, 60–120 grams; or prepared as pills or powdered herb. External use: appropriate amount, instill extracted juice into the eyes.
✵This article documents the herb Shepherd’s Purse, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavors, botanical source—namely, a single plant species: (1) Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., along with a detailed description of its botanical characteristics, growth habits, ecological environment, macroscopic features of the dried herb, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Jì Cài
Botanical Description: Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. is also known as Thlaspi bursa-pastoris L. and commonly called Jì Cài. It is an annual or biennial herb, growing 20–50 cm tall. The taproot is cylindrical or conical, sometimes branched, 4–10 cm long; its surface is whitish or pale brown, bearing numerous bearded lateral roots that are often curved or partially broken, and colored pale brown or milky white. Stems are erect and branched, sparsely covered with simple or branched hairs. Basal leaves form a rosette, petiolate, with petioles 5–40 mm long; leaf blades are lyrate, up to 12 cm long and 2.5 cm wide; the terminal lobe is largest, ovate to ovate-oblong (5–30 mm long); lateral lobes occur in 3–8 pairs, smaller, narrow, rounded to ovate, with acuminate apices and shallowly lobed or irregularly coarsely serrated margins. Cauline leaves are narrow-lanceolate, 1–2 cm long and 2–15 mm wide, auriculate and amplexicaul at the base, with incised or serrate margins; both surfaces are pubescent or glabrous.
Racemes are terminal or axillary, elongating up to 20 cm in fruiting; sepals are oblong; petals are white, spatulate or obovate, 2–3 mm long, with short claws.
Ecological Environment: Native to Anatolia and Eastern Europe, this species is now cosmopolitan. It is predominantly distributed across temperate regions worldwide and prefers warm climates but exhibits strong cold tolerance. It grows wild on hillsides, mountain slopes, fields, and roadsides—and is also cultivated.
Characteristics of the Herb: The taproot is cylindrical or conical, sometimes branched, 4–10 cm long; its surface is off-white or hazel, bearing numerous whisker-like lateral roots. The stem is slender, yellowish-green, and brittle. Rosette leaves are pinnately divided (lyrate), often curled, lanceolate when flattened, with large terminal lobes and coarsely serrated margins; surfaces are sage green or dull yellow, occasionally tan (light brown), papery in texture, and fragile. Cauline leaves are oblong or linear-lanceolate, auriculate and amplexicaul at the base. The fruit is obtriangular (inverted triangular), flattened, with an emarginate apex and a short persistent style. Seeds are minute, obovate, inserted on the false septum (pseudoseptum), arranged in two rows. The herb has a faint odor and a mild taste.
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