✵The article records the herb Field Thistle—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical source, which is the single plant species (1) Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB.—and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this species; the macroscopic characteristics of the dried aerial parts (Field Thistle); its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Herba Cirsii (Field Thistle)
Pinyin Name: Xiǎo Jì
English Name: Field Thistle
Latin Name:Herba Cirsii Properties and Flavor: cool; sweet, bitter
Brief Introduction:Herba Cirsii consists of the dried aerial parts of Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB. It is used (1) to cool the blood and stop bleeding—primarily for hematuria; (2) to dissipate blood stasis and clear toxins—indicated for boils and carbuncles; and (3) as an antihypertensive agent. It is commonly known as Herba Cirsii, Field Thistle, or Xiǎo Jì.
Botanical Source: Classical herbal works define Herba Cirsii (Field Thistle) as the dried aerial parts of Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB., a species belonging to the genus Cirsium Mill. emend. Scop., family Asteraceae (Compositae, aster or daisy family), order Asterales. This widely used species is described below:
(1) Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB.
Botanical Description:Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB., syn. Cerratula setosa Willd., Cirsium segetum Bunge, Cephalanoplos segetum (Bunge) Kitam., is commonly known as Cì’ér Cài (“thorny vegetable”). It is a perennial herb with creeping rhizomes. The stem is erect, reaching 30–80 cm in height, and is glabrous or covered with arachnoid hairs. Basal leaves wither during flowering; lower- and mid-stem leaves are elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 7–15 cm long and 1.5–10 cm wide; apices are obtuse or rounded; bases are cuneate and typically sessile. Upper cauline leaves gradually decrease in size; leaf margins bear dense, fine spines or spinose teeth; both surfaces are uniformly colored and glabrous.
The capitulum (flower head) is solitary and terminal. Plants are dioecious. The general involucre of male inflorescences measures ~18 mm in length; that of female inflorescences measures ~25 mm. Phyllaries are arranged in 6 series: outer phyllaries are very short and long-elliptic-lanceolate; inner phyllaries are lanceolate with elongated, spinose apices. Corollas of male flowers are 17–20 mm long, with lobes 9–10 mm long; anthers are purplish-red (“prunus”), ~6 mm long. Corollas of female flowers are purplish-red, ~26 mm long, with lobes ~5 mm long; degenerate anthers measure ~2 mm.
Achenes are elliptic or ovate-oblong and slightly flattened; the pappus is plumose. Flowering occurs from May to June; fruiting from May to July.
Ecological Environment:Cirsium setosum is a mesophyte with high adaptability, thriving across diverse climatic conditions. It is a common weed in abandoned fields, cultivated land, roadsides, and peri-village areas. It grows on plains, hillsides, and mountains. Its distribution spans China, eastern and central Europe, Siberia (both eastern and western regions), and eastern Asia.
Growth Characteristics:Cirsium setosum prefers warm, moist climates and exhibits strong tolerance to cold and drought. It has broad soil adaptability and imposes no strict requirements on soil type.
Characteristics of the Herb: The stem is cylindrical, often branched in the upper portion, 5–30 cm (or 30–45 cm) long and 2–4 mm in diameter. The surface is green, grayish-green, or slightly purplish-brown, bearing longitudinal ridges and pubescence. The herb is crisp and easily fractured; the fracture surface is fibrous and hollow. Leaves are frequently shriveled or fragmented. When flattened, intact leaves are oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 3–12 cm long and 0.5–3 cm wide; margins are entire or slightly undulate to pinnately parted, with fine, dense spines. The upper surface is olive-brown (greenish-brown); the lower surface is celadon (sage-green); both surfaces bear white arachnoid hairs. One or several terminal capitula (flower heads) are present; the general involucre is campanulate (bell-shaped); bracts are yellowish-green, arranged in 5–6 series, linear or lanceolate; corollas are mostly absent; the pappus is pinnate and often exposed. The herb has a faint odor and tastes slightly bitter.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Hypertensive effect; (2) Hemostatic effect; (3) Antimutagenic activity; (4) Antibacterial effect: the decoction of Herba Cirsii exhibits a certain inhibitory effect on hemolytic streptococcus, pneumococcus, and Corynebacterium diphtheriae in vitro. The alcoholic extract shows inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. (5) Other effects: the decoction or tincture can stimulate uterine contraction in isolated rabbit uterus.
Medicinal Efficacy: Cooling the blood, promoting hemostasis, dispersing blood stasis, detoxifying, clearing heat, reducing swelling; used for treating boils. It is indicated for epistaxis (nasal bleeding or bleeding from the orifices or subcutaneous tissues), hemoptysis (coughing up blood), hematemesis (vomiting blood), hematuria (blood in urine), bloody stranguria (stranguria accompanied by hematuria), hematochezia (passage of blood in stool), dysentery with bloody stools, uterine bleeding, acute infectious hepatitis, traumatic bleeding, furuncles, carbuncles, swellings, and toxic sores.
Administration of Herba Cirsii (Xiǎo Jì):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Herba Cirsii (Xiǎo Jì)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 5–12 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 1.5–3 qian (approximately 4.5–9 grams); fresh herb, 1–2 liang (approximately 30–60 grams); juice extraction or powdered herb preparation. External use: apply mashed herb topically or wash with water decoction; (3) Internally: water decoction, 5–10 grams; fresh herb may be used up to 30–60 grams, or juice may be extracted. External use: appropriate amount, applied topically as a mash.
Contraindications, Precautions, and Adverse Reactions: Herba Cirsii should not be prepared or stored in iron utensils.
✵The article records the herb Field Thistle—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical source, which is the single plant species (1) Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB.—and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this species; the macroscopic characteristics of the dried aerial parts (Field Thistle); its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Xiǎo Jì
Botanical Description: Cirsium setosum (Willd.) MB., syn. Cerratula setosa Willd., Cirsium segetum Bunge, Cephalanoplos segetum (Bunge) Kitam., is commonly known as Cì’ér Cài (“thorny vegetable”). It is a perennial herb with creeping rhizomes. The stem is erect, reaching 30–80 cm in height, and is glabrous or covered with arachnoid hairs. Basal leaves wither during flowering; lower- and mid-stem leaves are elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 7–15 cm long and 1.5–10 cm wide; apices are obtuse or rounded; bases are cuneate and typically sessile. Upper cauline leaves gradually decrease in size; leaf margins bear dense, fine spines or spinose teeth; both surfaces are uniformly colored and glabrous.
The capitulum (flower head) is solitary and terminal. Plants are dioecious. The general involucre of male inflorescences measures ~18 mm in length; that of female inflorescences measures ~25 mm. Phyllaries are arranged in 6 series: outer phyllaries are very short and long-elliptic-lanceolate; inner phyllaries are lanceolate with elongated, spinose apices. Corollas of male flowers are 17–20 mm long, with lobes 9–10 mm long; anthers are purplish-red (“prunus”), ~6 mm long. Corollas of female flowers are purplish-red, ~26 mm long, with lobes ~5 mm long; degenerate anthers measure ~2 mm.
Achenes are elliptic or ovate-oblong and slightly flattened; the pappus is plumose. Flowering occurs from May to June; fruiting from May to July.
Ecological Environment: Cirsium setosum is a mesophyte with high adaptability, thriving across diverse climatic conditions. It is a common weed in abandoned fields, cultivated land, roadsides, and peri-village areas. It grows on plains, hillsides, and mountains. Its distribution spans China, eastern and central Europe, Siberia (both eastern and western regions), and eastern Asia.
Characteristics of the Herb: The stem is cylindrical, often branched in the upper portion, 5–30 cm (or 30–45 cm) long and 2–4 mm in diameter. The surface is green, grayish-green, or slightly purplish-brown, bearing longitudinal ridges and pubescence. The herb is crisp and easily fractured; the fracture surface is fibrous and hollow. Leaves are frequently shriveled or fragmented. When flattened, intact leaves are oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 3–12 cm long and 0.5–3 cm wide; margins are entire or slightly undulate to pinnately parted, with fine, dense spines. The upper surface is olive-brown (greenish-brown); the lower surface is celadon (sage-green); both surfaces bear white arachnoid hairs. One or several terminal capitula (flower heads) are present; the general involucre is campanulate (bell-shaped); bracts are yellowish-green, arranged in 5–6 series, linear or lanceolate; corollas are mostly absent; the pappus is pinnate and often exposed. The herb has a faint odor and tastes slightly bitter.
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