Herb reference entry
Celosia Seed / Feather Cockscomb Seed
Celosia Seed / Feather Cockscomb Seed
Celosia argentea L.
Reviewed by Kuda, September 2, 2026 - Editorial policy
OVERVIEW
What This Record Covers
Celosia Seed, called Qing Xiang Zi, is the dried seed of Celosia argentea, feather cockscomb, an annual herb of the amaranth family (Amaranthaceae) that grows in fields and roadsides across tropical and temperate Asia. The plant has distinctive plume-like silvery flower spikes, and the medicinal material is the small, black, shiny seed produced in large numbers by the mature plant. In trade it appears as small black seeds, powder, granules, and combined formulas, and the seed, the flower, and ornamental material should not be confused. The tiny shiny seed form makes batch traceability important.
- English name
- Celosia Seed / Feather Cockscomb Seed
- Latin name
- Celosia argentea L.
- Traditional category
- Vision Improving
- Nature
- Slightly Cold
- Flavor description
- Bitter
- Record identifier
- qingxiangzi
IDENTIFICATION
Identification and Image Notes
The seeds are small, black, and shiny, produced by a plant with distinctive plume-like silvery flower spikes, and seed, flower, and ornamental material should not be confused. The mature plant is a common garden annual, and its tiny black seeds are harvested in large quantity, which makes the seed lot the practical identity record. The tiny shiny form is an orientation clue, but the species and the seed lot should be confirmed with the label.
Images are for orientation only, not definitive species authentication; confirm species, part, source, and labeling with a qualified professional or authoritative monograph.
TRADITIONAL CONTEXT
Traditional Use in Context
Traditional records discuss Celosia Seed for liver heat, red or painful eyes, vision, and downward clearing language, and it appears in formulas aimed at red, painful, or irritated eyes read as liver heat, often paired with Chrysanthemum Flower and Cassia Seed in eye-focused combinations. Classical texts describe it for clearing liver heat from the eyes and for supporting vision, always within a pattern-based framework. The eye vocabulary is historical, and eye pain, vision loss, or sudden visual change requires urgent eye care rather than a traditional eye label. Red, painful, or discharging eyes may reflect infection or injury that needs direct examination.
PROCESSING CONTEXT
Raw Material, Processing, and Product Form
Seeds are cleaned and dried, with stir-fried forms appearing in some records, and powder and eye products need their own quality and contamination review. Each form carries its own record.
The same name can cover a raw material, decoction piece, powder, extract, or finished product, so record the labeled form rather than assuming it; see the safety review for the questions to ask.
SAFETY REVIEW
Safety Boundaries
Review eye pain, vision loss, glaucoma, pregnancy, allergy, and digestive tolerance, and do not use any unverified product near the eye. Sudden visual changes require urgent eye care, and persistent eye symptoms need clinical assessment.
This record is not a dose recommendation; risk depends on identity, preparation, amount, duration, contamination, other medicines, and health conditions — a traditional or “natural” label cannot establish safety. For the full framework, read the Chinese Herbal Medicine Safety Review.
COMPARISON
How This Entry Differs
Compare Celosia Seed with Cassia Seed and Buddleja Flower for eye-focused language, seed versus flower identity, and care-seeking limits. Celosia is the tiny black seed of the group with the strongest eye-specific vocabulary.
Use the related-entry links below to compare identity, part, processing, and safety boundaries — similar categories do not make materials interchangeable.
STUDY METHOD
New to these entries?
Read the four-step method in How to Read a Herb Entry before comparing materials.
