Occasionally in researching the origin stories of herbs, we delightedly stumble upon something so special it actually elevates an herb from its humble origins into a thing of art, beauty and history. Cang er zi (Xanthium sibircum) or the fruit of the spiny Cocklebur, is one such example. In traditional Chinese herbal medicine, we know this well-loved spicy warm herb as a powerhouse for dispersing Wind Dampness and opening the nasal passages, but this herb has a fascinating back story all its own!
Resembling a tiny hedgehog so much that one of its names is Xiao ci wei “little hedgehog”, it captured the attention not only of herbal doctors, but the imaginations of ancient Chinese poets and scholars (and herbalists then were often scholars and part of the literati as well). Part of its attraction may be due to its purported origin. In ancient works, this herb was also called Yang Fu Lai or “borne by sheep”, supposedly carried into the central plains of China on the woolly backs of sheep from the then state of Shu (part of modern-day Sichuan province) around 200 AD. Although Shu was conquered by the state of Qin around that time, imagining nomadic herders and their seed-spreading flocks evoke an idyllic image of bygone times. Perhaps this is what inspired the romantic musings of ancient China’s elite, educated men.
From the literature, it is apparent that its numerous names and descriptions were also based on its appearance. There were so many examples of this that renowned Ming Dynasty physician Li Shizhen recorded some in his Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), “Su Song states: Poets call it Juan er, the Erya refers to it as Cang er, the Guang Ya calls it Xi er — all appropriate names. Lu Ji’s poetry commentary says: its fruit really resembles a woman’s ear pendant; now some call it Er dang grass. Zheng Kangcheng says it is Bai Hu Sui; people of Youzhou call it Jue er.”
This entry underscores how Cang er inspired romantic thoughts. “Er dang” means women’s pendant earrings due to their size and shape. Its leaves were also used medicinally, and have a delicate, curvy shape. Names for the plant ranged from “Juan er” “curved ears”, “Cang er” “green ears”, “Xi er” “hemp ears”, and “Jue er” “nobles’ ears”. Given the sensibilities of the time, these allusions were considered highly sensual. In fact, in some songs of the Bai ethnic minority, references to Cang er zi symbolize the relationship between lovers. The Bai are native to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, Bijie area of Guizhou Province, and Sangzhi area of Hunan Province, which shows the proliferation of this herb across huge swaths of China.
Whether it is Su Song, known for his herbal knowledge; Lu Ji, known for his literary talent; Zheng Xuan, famed for classical learning; or Zhang Hua, known for his broad scholarship — each of these highly accomplished men had their own fanciful impressions of this plant.
However, their appreciation of this humble herb is perhaps eclipsed by the homages from the “Sage of Poetry” and “Immortal of Poetry”, the celebrated Li Bai and Du Fu respectively. Li Bai (701–762) and Du Fu (712–770) were not only contemporaries but also friends, the two most influential poets of the Tang Dynasty's Golden Age and now considered among the greatest poets China has ever produced.
Li Bai’s poem “Searching North of Lu City for Master Fan, Losing the Path and Falling Among Cang Er, Then Seeing Fan Hosting a Banquet Picking Cang Er” is a playful piece about being "bullied" by Cang er zi and contains his lament:
"The city moat has lost its way, my horse's head is lost in the desolate fields. I don't care for my green fur coat, for I've been bullied by cockleburs."--vividly depicting the clingy nature of spiny Cang er zi.
In his later years Du Fu, living in exile in Chengdu, suffered from severe rheumatism. He had his servants collect Cang er zi and wrote the poem "Driving the Youngsters to Pick Cang Er” with the lines:
“Juan Er, how it allays the Wind; the children at times pick it. With the invading stars we drive it off; let it flourish and go afar.”—depicting the use of these “invading stars” to treat his ailment and his appreciation of this humble herb.
Cang er zi/Xanthium sibiricum fruit is bitter, sweet, and pungent in taste, warm in nature and slightly toxic. It enters the Lung and Liver meridians and is used to disperse Wind-Cold, clear nasal passages, dispel Wind-Damp, and relieve pain. It was first recorded in the Shennong Bencao Jing (Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica) under the name Xi er shi or “Hemp Ear Fruit”. Later, Sun Simiao, the "King of Medicine," included it in his Qianjin Yaofang (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold, and Li Shizhen in his Bencao Gangmu, as previously mentioned.
Speaking of Li Shizhen, Chinese people generally and TCM practitioners all over know of him as a brilliant physician and scholar, but perhaps unbeknownst to most, he was also a quite clever and romantic writer. A story of two love letters between him and wife show not only the couple’s affection, but also their literary talents and love of medicinal herbs.
Once, Li Shizhen was away from home for a long time, and his wife sent him a letter reading:
“The Bing lang [Betel nut] departs, and it is already past Ban xia [mid-summer] should you not Dang gui [return home]? Who Shi jun zi [is causing the gentleman], like Sang ji sheng [parasitic plants], entangling other branches, so that the old garden’s Shao yao [peonies] have no master? I gaze upward at Tian Nan Xing [the sky’s southern stars], downward Ren Dong Teng [enduring winter pain (homophone)], hoping not to receive a Bai Zhi [blank paper (homophone)] letter, enduring all the bitterness of Huang Lian! The ancient verse says: ‘Dou kou [cardamom] does not ease the hatred in my heart; Ding xiang [clove] blossoms in vain and gathers grief in the rain.’ Alas! Alas!”
Li Shizhen replied saying:
“Since parting from the red maiden [reference to his wife], Gui Zhi’s [Cinnamon] fragrance has already faded! Thinking much of flourishing Ju Hua [chrysanthemums], I long for Zi yuan [my garden (homophone)]. Alas, the roads of Chang shan [frequent mountains] are far and Hua shi [slippery stones] difficult to traverse. Wait [Rou] song rong [calmly]! Do not, in your quick temper, scold me to Cang Er Zi [pale/green ears]. When Hong hua [red flowers] bloom next spring, I, with Ma Bo and Du Zhong, will travel together back home; when we arrive, I will also bring a gift of Jin yin hua [honeysuckle].”
Whether this story is true is impossible to verify, but in fact there is a long tradition of such herbal love letters among not just physicians but the literati. The immortalization of Cang er zi and other herbs by these brilliant poets and other intellectuals enriched and became part of China’s history and its intellectual and cultural heritage. Today we can marvel at their creativity and gift of a deeper appreciation for the wondrous herbs in our medicine.
Sources
- https://wapbaike.baidu.com/tashuo/browse/content?id=013e9d866ef995966c2a1a20
- https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E8%9C%80%E6%B1%89
- https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E8%8B%8D%E8%80%B3#:~:text=%E8%8B%8D%E8%80%B3%EF%BC%88%E5%AD%A6%E5%90%8D%EF%BC%9AXanthium%20strumarium,%E3%80%81%E8%83%A1%E5%AF%9D%E5%AD%90%E3%80%81%E8%83%A1%E8%8B%8D%E5%AD%90%E3%80%82
- https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%8B%8D/4356261#:~:text=%E8%8B%8D_%E7%99%BE%E5%BA%A6%E7%99%BE%E7%A7%91&text=%E8%8B%8D%E6%98%AF%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E9%80%9A%E7%94%A8%E8%A7%84%E8%8C%83,%E6%8C%87%E6%B5%85%E9%9D%92%E8%89%B2%E5%92%8C%E7%81%B0%E7%99%BD%E8%89%B2%E3%80%82
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bai_people#:~:text=The%20Bai%20or%20Pai%20(Bai%3A&text=are%20an%20East%20Asian%20ethnic,Sangzhi%20area%20of%20Hunan%20Province
- https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%91%88/6873954
