Purple And Green Perilla Seeds

 Characteristics: 

Perilla is a mint plant (Laminaceae Family), Perilla frutescens, growing in the hills and mountains of East Asia (mainly India, China, Japan, and Korea).  It has been spread around the globe during the previous century; initially it was desired as a decorative garden plant, but then it escaped cultivation; as an example, it now grows in spots throughout most of the Eastern and Midwestern United States, described as an invasive weed.  The plant has long been used as a source of herb materials for Chinese medicine; it is known in China as zisu.  The character zi refers to the distinctive purple color of the stem; in some varieties or under certain growing conditions, the leaves also display a red-purple coloration; green leaves are more commonly found, while some varieties have one side of the leaf being green and one side red-purple.  The character sumeans comfort, and refers to the comforting effect of perilla leaves when taken as a tea.  

Perilla leaf is used to resolve the exterior and dissipate cold; perilla stem (sugeng) has the effect of rectifying the qi and quieting the fetus and is often used for vomiting or for abdominal distention in pregnancy; perilla stem and leaf together is used to downbear qi and disperse phlegm.  Perilla leaf, which has aromatic qi, aromatically repels foulness, dispels summerheat and transforms turbidity, and resolves the toxins of fish and crabs; therefore, it is often used for summerheat-damp foul turbidity or poisoning from fish and craps that results in oppression in the chest, vomiting, and abdominal pain.  Perilla seed has a strong qi-precipitating and phlegm-dispersing action and is effective in treating panting counterflow and phlegm cough.

Perilla Leaf

In the modern Chinese Materia Medica, perilla leaf is categorized as a surface-relieving herb used for common cold and similar types of acute disorders that might involve stuffy nose, cough, and headache; it is considered best for treating “wind-cold” type disorders, and is classified as pungent and warm.  Perilla leaf (and especially the stem) is also considered valuable for dispersing stagnant qi and calming the mind.  This dual use is also noted for bupleurum (chaihu), classified as a surface relieving herb but commonly employed for regulating qi and calming the mind; a combination of bupleurum, perilla leaf, curcuma, and acorus is used for treating depression.