☯ TCM Properties
Invigorates the Blood, dispels Stasis and unblock the menses; Cools the Blood and resolves toxicity
Traditional Chinese Uses
Fan Hong Hua, also called Xi Hong Hua (Stigma Croci) — saffron — consists of the dried red stigmas of Crocus sativus, a Blood-regulating herb. Sweet and cold, entering the Heart and Liver channels, it invigorates the Blood, dispels stasis and unblocks the menses, and, because of its cold nature, also cools the Blood and resolves toxicity. It is stronger than the related Hong Hua (safflower) and additionally suited to stasis with Heat.
It treats Blood-stasis patterns such as amenorrhea, painful menstruation and retained lochia, chest and hypochondriac fullness or pain from stagnant Qi and Blood with emotional constraint ("depression"), and stasis-Heat with dark maculopapular rashes or agitation. Small doses (about 1-3 g, steeped or added to decoction) suffice. It is CONTRAINDICATED IN PREGNANCY, as it can stimulate uterine contraction; overdose can cause vomiting, colic, gastrointestinal or urinary bleeding and convulsions.
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Fan Hong Hua (番红花), saffron, consists of the dried red stigmas of Crocus sativus L., a sterile autumn-flowering cormous perennial in the Iridaceae cultivated in Iran, Kashmir, Spain, and parts of western China. The plant produces a flat-topped corm 3–5 cm across that sends up a tuft of narrow grass-like leaves with a central pale stripe, alongside solitary cup-shaped flowers of intense lilac-purple with darker veins. Each flower bears three long deep-crimson stigmatic branches that are hand-collected at dawn and carefully dried to yield the costliest of culinary and medicinal spices. The dried threads are aromatic, yielding the orange-yellow pigment crocin and the bitter principle picrocrocin. Distinguished from Cao Hong Hua (Carthamus tinctorius safflower), which is unrelated.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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