A practical guide to Liu Ji Nu: what it is, how Traditional Chinese Medicine uses it, the classical formulas it appears in, and who should be careful with it.
Last reviewed Oct 28, 2026| Latin Name | Artemisiae Anomalae Herba |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name & Pinyin | 劉寄奴 · Liu Ji Nu |
| Medicinal Part | Whole herbs |
| The item | Liu Ji Nu is the dried above-ground part of Artemisia anomala. Su Mu and Tao Ren are not this drug, and it is not a tonic. |
| Nature and channels | Cold, bitter. Enters the Heart and Liver. Cold bitter breaks stasis, unblocks the menses, cools the blood, and stops bleeding. |
| Pharmacopoeia line | Breaks stasis and unblocks the menses. Cools the blood and stops bleeding. Used for painful periods with scanty clotted flow, bruising and bleeding after trauma, and postpartum stasis. |
| Pattern cues | Painful scanty clotted periods. Trauma bruising. Fresh bleeding with heat. Postpartum discharge. |
| In this article | Liu Ji Nu versus Su Mu. Breaking stasis versus cooling blood. Who should skip it. Home tea and porridge. |
Liu Ji Nu (刘寄奴; Liú Jì Nú; Latin: Herba Artemisiae Anomalae; English: diverse wormwood herb) is the dried above-ground part of Artemisia anomala, a common field herb of the aster family, harvested around its summer flowering. It is cold, bitter, and enters the Heart and Liver channels, and its core actions are to break stasis and unblock the menses, and to cool the blood and stop bleeding. It is a draining herb, not a tonic. The usual amount is 3–10 g in a decoction. For a fresh wound, a suitable amount of the powder can be applied to the spot. It does not need first, last, or wrapped decoction handling.
It is not Su Mu. Sappanwood is neutral and sweet-salty; it invigorates blood and reduces swelling, but it stops bleeding far less. It is not a general blood tonic either. It drains and disperses. In qi-blood deficiency, or with heavy menses and no stasis, using it on your own is a poor match. Pregnancy, postpartum discharge, or heavy abnormal bleeding need a clinic first. Bleeding with pale, thin color needs pattern diagnosis. Do not use it yourself for a long time.
It is used most often for three patterns:
Cold and bitter, it is not a daily "blood mover" to keep taking. Breaking stasis when there is no stasis drains both qi and blood.
When stasis blocks the menses and the channels, or blood heat pushes the vessels open, pain, clots, and bleeding appear. Liu Ji Nu is cold and bitter. It drains, cools, and stops bleeding, which is why it appears in Liu Ji Nu San (刘寄奴散; Liu Ji Nu Powder)–type formulas. It moves more than it holds. With a cold weak spleen and stomach, or no heat at all, more makes it worse.
Liu Ji Nu is not a catch-all blood herb. In qi-blood deficiency, in pregnancy, or with bleeding but no stasis, using it alone is a poor match. Whether it belongs in a formula, and at what dose, should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.
Identification & Quality Standard
Artemisiae Anomalae Herba
Botanical Origin
The dried aerial part of Artemisia anomala S. Moore (Asteraceae).
Production Regions
Primarily produced in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Sichuan.
Quality Requirements
Superior is green, leafy, aromatic.
Stem cylindrical, 60~90cm long, 2~8mm diameter. Externally brownish-yellow or purple-brown. Leaves alternate, pinnately lobed. Capitate flower clusters. Aromatic odor, slightly bitter taste.
The herb grows widely, with main producing areas in several provinces of eastern and central China; quality still varies with variety, harvest time, processing, and storage. Good material has thin yellowish-green stems, plenty of leaves, a brittle texture, a light grass aroma, and a slightly bitter taste; the processed segments are a touch darker and drier. The common look-alikes are other wormwood species of the same genus — separate them carefully so non-medicinal look-alikes do not slip in.
Bitter, Acrid; WarmHeartLiverSpleen
All of these circle the same core: breaking stasis and stopping bleeding.
Physicians emphasized different sides: early writers stressed breaking stasis and unblocking the menses, for postpartum stasis and sluggish periods; others highlighted cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, for patterns with a bleeding tendency; a third group drew the line clearly, holding that it does not fit stasis from qi-blood deficiency — a quiet warning against using it as a universal blood mover.
Traditional Functions
Dispels stasis and relieves pain, heals trauma and stops bleeding, breaks blood and unblocks menstruation, disperses food accumulation.
(1) Traditional action: dissolving stasis and clearing the channels so qi and blood run again. (2) Typical patterns: painful periods from menstrual stasis — scanty flow with clots; local bruising and pain after knocks and falls; and lingering postpartum discharge. (3) Usual pairings: Dang Gui (Chinese angelica root) and Chuan Xiong (lovage root) to invigorate blood and strengthen the menses-unblocking effect. (4) Not for self-use: irregular periods from qi-blood deficiency, or pain with no clear stasis behind it.
(1) Traditional action: cooling and settling bleeding driven by blood heat. (2) Typical patterns: bleeding from trauma, or unusually heavy, bright-red periods. (3) Usual pairings: Ce Bai Ye (arborvitae twig and leaf) and Bai Mao Gen (cogongrass rhizome) for cooling and stopping bleeding; for an external wound the powder can be applied alone. (4) Not for self-use: bleeding from spleen-stomach cold deficiency, or bleeding that is pale and thin.
Liu Ji Nu pairs classically with Tao Ren (peach kernel). Liu Ji Nu scatters stasis and unblocks the menses; Tao Ren invigorates blood and moistens the intestines. Together they strengthen the stasis-dissolving effect, and are used for period pain and sluggish flow from menstrual stasis. This pair belongs to a practitioner's pattern diagnosis, not self-pairing.
Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.
Detected constituents include volatile oils (artemisia ketone, bornyl acetate), flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin), coumarins, and terpenes. In vitro, some constituents showed anti-inflammatory activity; animal experiments suggested improved local blood flow and less bruising. There is not yet enough human research to say what it does in the body.
Current work focuses on screening its active constituents and their preliminary actions — for example, the antibacterial effect of the volatile oil and the antioxidant activity of the flavonoids. These studies are mostly at the experimental stage; human studies are still needed to judge any real-world effect.
Nature and flavor: Liu Ji Nu is cold and bitter, entering the Heart and Liver — it leans to cooling stasis-heat; Su Mu is neutral and sweet-salty, entering the Heart and Liver — balanced, neither cold nor hot, with a wider range. Focus: Liu Ji Nu both breaks stasis and stops bleeding — made for stasis with heat; Su Mu invigorates blood and reduces swelling — better for trauma swelling and pain, with a weaker hold on bleeding. Tendency: Liu Ji Nu drains and disperses, aimed at the excess pattern of stasis-and-heat bound together; Su Mu also moves blood but more gently, scattering rather than clearing heat. Best fit: Liu Ji Nu for scanty clotted flow, dark or bright, with local heat, and trauma bleeding with heat; Su Mu for trauma swelling and pain, or sluggish periods without obvious heat. Who should avoid: Liu Ji Nu is wrong for qi-blood deficiency, cold spleen-stomach, and heavy menses without stasis; Su Mu is also wrong for deficiency, tolerates a cold spleen a little better, and still needs care when menses are heavy without stasis. Where you meet them: Liu Ji Nu with blood-cooling herbs for heat-type bleeding; Su Mu with blood-moving pain herbs for trauma and plain sluggish flow.
In short, Liu Ji Nu leans to cooling stasis-heat and stopping bleeding; Su Mu leans to moving blood and reducing swelling. Both can appear in menstrual-stasis care — but they are not stand-ins for each other.
Role of this herb: in Liu Ji Nu San (Liu Ji Nu Powder), Liu Ji Nu is the monarch herb — its stasis-breaking and bleeding-stopping actions are the point of the formula, aimed at bleeding and bruising after trauma and lingering postpartum discharge. The formula leans on this herb alone, so it is not a place for self-dosing. Traditional focus: bleeding from metal wounds and postpartum discharge that will not clear. Modern note: any modern use belongs to a licensed practitioner after diagnosis — never self-apply by name.
Role of this herb: in Tong Jing San (Menses-Unblocking Powder), Liu Ji Nu works beside Dang Gui and Chuan Xiong — it carries the stasis-scattering, menses-unblocking edge while the other two invigorate blood and nourish it — the trio together eases menstrual stasis. Single use cannot reach the full effect. Traditional focus: period pain and scanty flow from menstrual stasis. Modern note: professional diagnosis first; never self-apply from symptoms.
A formula works as a coordinated team: pairings raise the effect and temper each herb's bias. A single herb cannot copy a full formula, and a herb that helps inside a formula does not automatically work the same way alone. Do not self-formulate from web articles — a wrong pairing can weaken the effect or cause discomfort.
Example 1 — Liu Ji Nu swelling tea: Liu Ji Nu pieces 5 g with green tea 3 g, steeped in boiling water for 10 minutes. Fit: a mild bruise or a few small clots around a period; 1–2 cups a week, not long-term. Not for: cold spleen-stomach, or periods without stasis. Example 2 — Liu Ji Nu porridge: Liu Ji Nu 3 g wrapped in gauze, cooked with 50 g of rice into porridge, then remove the sachet. Fit: light period bleeding with clots. Not for: pregnancy, children, or pale bleeding; about 1–2 times a month, under a practitioner's guidance.
The raw herb leans to breaking stasis and stopping bleeding; the cut segments are the everyday form and decoct more easily. At home, no special handling is needed — wash and put it in the pot with the other herbs; no first, last, or wrapped handling. Different forms cannot be converted directly — food-use amounts are not medical doses.
The classic range is 3–10 g; food-use amounts are roughly half, about 1–5 g. Food use is for gentle daily care; medical use is targeted — do not substitute one dose for the other. It is not for long continuous use: keep each course to about 7 days. Special groups should consult a practitioner or pharmacist first.
Qi-blood deficiency with stasis is the traditional no-go; pregnancy and nursing — not enough safety evidence, be cautious; children and the elderly — guidance only; liver or kidney impairment — consult first; allergy to aster-family plants — possible sensitivity; people on anticoagulants, blood-pressure, or other regular medicines — consult before use.
Liu Ji Nu may strengthen the effect of anticoagulants — anyone on them should ask a doctor first. Do not stack it with other blood-moving herbs on your own, to avoid an over-thinned blood tendency. There is no solid evidence of a blanket "food clash" with ordinary foods, but herbs can interact with specific medicines — anyone on medication should check with a professional.
Overuse can bring nausea, vomiting, and belly pain, and some people develop a rash. Stop and seek care at once for marked discomfort, an allergic reaction, persistent vomiting, trouble breathing, confusion, or a rapid worsening of symptoms.
Medical Disclaimer — This article is provided for educational purposes only and describes traditional Chinese medicine concepts. It is not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using any herb, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a diagnosed condition.
