Five extraction methods, four living traditions, a 212-plant materia medica, and a notebook the network writes together. Open to anyone — members can contribute notes, formulas, and snippets.
⚗ Open the Herbal Engine →Every formula you build in the Herbal Engine or Mixology is saved to this book. City-level origin is recorded when you’re not on a VPN — we never log anything finer than your city, and never if you’re shielded.
Each bubble opens one lineage. Tap a bubble to reveal that tradition’s plants — the others stay collapsed so you can read in focus. Tap again, or pick a different bubble, to switch.
Plants and minerals unique to the Indian subcontinent and Ayurvedic philosophy. Categorised by their primary traditional action.
Ingredients that live in both worlds. Through a TCM lens they carry specific names, target distinct meridian channels, and possess explicit energetic signatures.
| Botanical | Ayurvedic | TCM | TCM action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curcuma longa | Haldi / Turmeric | Jiang Huang 姜黄 | Invigorates the Blood — unblocks stasis, moves Qi, resolves painful obstructions in shoulders/chest. |
| Zingiber officinale | Sunthi (Dry Ginger) | Gan Jiang 干姜 | Warms the Middle — expels deep cold from Spleen/Stomach, transforms damp phlegm. |
| Cinnamomum zeylanicum | Twak / Cinnamon | Rou Gui / Gui Zhi | Warms the Interior — fortifies Kidney Yang, guides fire back to its source, warms the channels. |
| Glycyrrhiza glabra | Yashtimadhu / Licorice | Gan Cao 甘草 | Tonifies Qi & Harmonises — enters all 12 channels, blends herbs smoothly, moistens Lungs, stops pain. |
| Psoralea corylifolia | Bakuchi | Bu Gu Zhi 补骨脂 | Tonifies Kidney Yang — stabilises essence, warms Spleen to stop diarrhoea, treats skin conditions. |
| Cassia angustifolia | Senna | Fan Xie Ye 番泻叶 | Downward Purgative — drains heat from intestines, clears stagnant food, acute constipation. |
| Tribulus terrestris | Gokshura / Gokshuru | Bai Ji Li 白蒺藜 | Calms Liver Yang — extinguishes internal wind, brightens the eyes, relieves severe skin itching. |
| Terminalia chebula | Haritaki / Harar | He Zi 诃子 | Astringent — binds intestines to stop chronic diarrhoea; astringes Lungs to restore a lost voice. |
| Emblica officinalis | Amla / Amalaki | Yu Gan Zi 油柑子 | Clears Heat & Generates Fluids — cools Lung heat, resolves sore throats, replenishes fluids. |
| Terminalia bellerica | Bibhitaki / Bahera | Zang Qie 藏茄 | Astringent / Secondary — rare in standard TCM; used in Tibetan/Western Chinese traditions to clear Lung heat and secure the bowels. |
| Piper longum | Pippali | Bi Ba 毕拨 | Warms the Middle — dispels cold from the stomach, relieves cramping, alleviates toothache. |
| Commiphora mukul | Guggulu resin | Mo Yao 没药 (cousin) | Invigorates Blood — TCM uses C. myrrha, but this sister resin acts identically to break blood stasis, reduce swelling, regenerate tissue. |
| Andrographis paniculata | Kalmegh | Chuan Xin Lian 穿心莲 | Clears Heat & Dries Dampness — deeply bitter; clears toxic heat from Lungs, throat, intestines. |
| Rubia cordifolia | Manjistha | Qian Cao 茜草 | Cools & Invigorates Blood — stops bleeding caused by excess heat, breaks up stubborn clots. |
| Acacia catechu | Khadira | Er Cha 儿茶 | Clears Heat & Dries Damp — topically/internally stops bleeding, generates flesh, drains weeping skin dampness. |
| Operculina turpethum | Nishoth / Nishotha | Fang Ji (cousin) | Drives Out Water — drastic hydragogue purgative in Ayurveda; clears severe lower-body damp-heat and water retention. |
| Apium graveolens | Ajwan / Celery Seed | Qin Cai Zi 芹菜子 | Clears Heat & Lowers Liver Yang — modern Chinese dietary use to clear heat, promote urination, settle hyperactive Liver Yang. |
| Azadirachta indica | Neem (leaf & bark) | Ku Lian Pi (cousin) | Kills Parasites & Dries Damp — Melia azedarach is the standard Chinese cousin; Neem operates under the same paradigm. |
| Hemidesmus indicus | Anantmul | Tu Fu Ling (cousin) | Clears Heat & Relieves Toxicity — cools blood, clears damp-heat from the skin, soothes painful joints. |
| Pongamia pinnata | Karanja | Shui Huang Pi | Clears Heat & Resolves Swelling — southern Chinese medicine uses it for toxic skin swellings and damp skin sores. |
| Aegle marmelos | Bael leaves | Mu Gua (analog) | Harmonises the Middle — checks diarrhoea, binds the intestines, balances digestive function. |
| Lepidium sativum | Chandrashoor seeds | Ting Li Zi (cousin) | Drains the Lungs & Moves Water — pungent warming seeds for fluid accumulation, ease of breathing. |
| Cassia fistula | Amaltas fruit pulp | Bo Luo Hui (analog) | Clears Heat & Relieves Stagnation — cooling, moistening laxative for heat-induced constipation. |
Plants from the rainforest basin and the high Andes — tonics, stimulants, ceremonial allies, and adaptogens with a tradition that long predates colonisation. Several are restricted or context-sensitive (noted inline).
The unbroken cunning-craft of the forest, hedge and field — Nordic foraging, Anglo-Saxon leechcraft, Mediterranean simples. Plants that grow where Robin walks.
The oldest written materia medica in the world. Sumerian clay tablets list these by name 4000 years before Galen. Many travelled the Silk Road into Ayurveda; others stayed local and define the kitchens of Beirut, Aleppo, Isfahan to this day.
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