A practical guide to Han Lian Cao: 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 13, 2026| Latin Name | Ecliptae Herba |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name & Pinyin | 旱蓮草 · Han Lian Cao |
| Medicinal Part | Whole herbs |
| The herb | Han Lian Cao is Mo Han Lian, the dried aerial part of Eclipta prostrata. Nu Zhen Zi is a different official drug. |
| Nature and channels | Sweet, sour, cold. Enters the Kidney and Liver. Sweet sourness nourishes Liver and Kidney. Cold cools the blood and stops bleeding. |
| Pharmacopoeia line | Nourishes the Liver and Kidney. Cools the blood and stops bleeding. Used for Liver–Kidney yin deficiency, loose teeth, early graying, dizziness and tinnitus, sore lumbar region and knees, yin-deficiency blood-heat with vomiting blood, nosebleed, and bloody urine, bloody dysentery, flooding, and traumatic bleeding. |
| Pattern cues | Early graying. Sore lumbar region and knees. Dizziness. Vomiting blood, nosebleed, bloody urine. Flooding. Red tongue. |
| In this article | Han Lian Cao versus Nu Zhen Zi and Ce Bai Ye. Its place in Er Zhi Wan. Why a weak spleen should skip it. Why bleeding needs a clinic. Who should skip it. |
Han Lian Cao is the pharmacopoeia drug Mo Han Lian (墨旱莲; Hàn Lián Cǎo / Mò Hàn Lián; Latin: Ecliptae Herba; English: eclipta). It is the dried aerial part of Eclipta prostrata L. In Chinese medicine it is a yin-nourishing herb. It is sweet, sour, and cold, enters the Kidney and Liver channels, and its core actions are to nourish the Liver and Kidney, and to cool the blood and stop bleeding. The teaching point is Liver–Kidney yin deficiency, with bleeding from yin-deficiency blood-heat beside it. It is not Nu Zhen Zi. Glossy privet fruit is sweet, bitter, and cool. It nourishes Liver and Kidney, brightens the eyes, and darkens the hair. Stopping bleeding is not its main work. Han Lian Cao is sweet, sour, and cold. Cooling blood and stopping bleeding are more specific. In Er Zhi Wan the two sit together. Roadside eclipta is not the official piece. A cold weak spleen and loose stools are a poor match. Vomiting blood, blood in the urine, and flooding need a clinic.
It is used most often for three patterns:
The usual decoction dose is 6–12 g. Sweet, sour, and cold, it is not a daily “hair eclipta” tea. Cooling when there is no yin deficiency injures middle yang.
When Liver and Kidney yin are deficient and blood-heat moves recklessly, sore lumbar region, early graying, and bleeding are common. Han Lian Cao is sweet, sour, and cold. It nourishes, cools, and stops bleeding, which is why it appears in Er Zhi Wan. It cools and enriches more than it warms. Loose stools, fear of cold, and deficiency-cold bleeding get worse if more cooling is added.
Han Lian Cao is not a catch-all hair or bleeding herb. In middle-cold diarrhea or deficiency-cold bleeding, using it alone can cool and trap. Whether it belongs in Er Zhi Wan should be decided by a licensed Chinese medicine practitioner after pattern diagnosis.
Identification & Quality Standard
Ecliptae Herba
Botanical Origin
The dried aerial part of Eclipta prostrata L. (Asteraceae).
Production Regions
Primarily produced in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Guangdong.
Quality Requirements
Superior medicinal material is tender, green to purplish, and blackens readily when crushed.
Stems cylindrical, reddish-purple; leaves opposite, lanceolate, with appressed hairs; crushed leaves blacken; weak odor.
Traditionally, high-quality Han Lian Cao (Eclipta) is sourced from provinces like Jiangsu and Jiangxi, though quality heavily depends on harvesting and storage.
Sweet, Sour; ColdLiverKidney
This herb has been trusted for centuries, with its applications evolving across classic TCM texts:
Different TCM masters throughout history have focused on different strengths of Han Lian Cao (Eclipta), highlighting the need for customized treatment:
Traditional Functions
Nourishes liver-kidney yin, cools blood, and stops bleeding. Apply to dizziness, premature greying, and bleeding from yin deficiency with heat.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Han Lian Cao (Eclipta) is traditionally used to nourish Liver and Kidney Yin, helping to restore balance when these systems are depleted.
The herb is also highly valued for its ability to clear heat from the blood and stop bleeding.
The most famous herbal pairing is Han Lian Cao (Eclipta) with Nu Zhen Zi (Glossy Privet Fruit).
Modern research offers useful context, but Traditional Chinese Medicine prescribes on whole-pattern diagnosis rather than isolated compounds.
Modern science has identified several naturally occurring compounds in Han Lian Cao (Eclipta), including flavonoids (like apigenin and luteolin), triterpenes (like oleanolic acid), and coumarins. These components form the basis for current laboratory investigations.
Current laboratory and animal studies suggest that extracts from the herb may have potential anti-inflammatory properties. In animal models, researchers have also observed potential improvements in bleeding times and a protective tendency for liver and kidney tissues. However, these are preliminary observations and remain largely in the basic research phase.
It is important to keep these modern scientific findings in perspective:
Both Han Lian Cao (Eclipta) and Nu Zhen Zi (Glossy Privet Fruit) share three main traits: they both tonify Liver and Kidney Yin, they both address symptoms like dizziness and premature gray hair, and they are frequently used together in dietary therapies or formulas for these exact issues.
In short, Han Lian Cao (Eclipta) tonifies Yin while cooling blood and stopping bleeding. Nu Zhen Zi (Glossy Privet Fruit) tonifies Yin while brightening eyes and darkening hair. They are complementary but not entirely interchangeable.
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.
