Jue Ming Zi (Cassia Seed) (Rhomboid, like a horseshoe, yellowish-brown, with a small hilum obliquely truncated at both ends, ridges on the dorsal and ventral sides, smooth, lustrous, and firm. Small Jue Ming is short and cylindrical, smaller.)

Heavily Stir-fried Jue Ming Zi (Cassia Seed)

(Wang Jiang Nan – Sicklepod) (Flat, nearly circular, with a central depression on both flat surfaces)

Jue Ming Zi (Cassia Seed), Stir-fried, Heavily Stir-fried, Horseshoe-shaped Jue Ming

【Naming】

Jue Ming Zi (Cassia Seed)

【Source】

Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic, Upper Class

【Frequency of Use】

C

【Botanical Origin】

The dried, mature seeds of Cassia obtusifolia L. or Cassia tora L. in the Fabaceae family. Known respectively as Large and Small Jue Ming.

【Characteristics】

Rhomboid, shaped like a horseshoe, slightly pointed at one end and truncated at the other. 5-8mm long, 2.5-3mm wide. The surface is yellowish-brown or greenish-brown, smooth and lustrous, with raised brown ridges and sunken lines on both sides. The hilum is located at the pointed end. The texture is hard and not easily broken. The cross-section shows a thin skin, with grayish-white to pale yellowish endosperm. The cotyledons are yellow or dark brown, strongly folded and wrinkled. Odorless, taste slightly bitter, slightly mucilaginous. Small Jue Ming is short and cylindrical, smaller, 3-5mm long, 2-3mm wide, with a broad, light yellowish-brown band on each side of the surface ridge.

【Identification】

“Quality Discrimination”: “Those with luster, large size, and black color are the best.”
Good quality is defined by uniform, plump grains, yellowish-brown or greenish-brown color, smooth and lustrous surface, hard texture, bitter and slightly sweet taste, and free from impurities and soil. Blackish-yellow, irregular grains with impurities are considered inferior.

【Identification Terminology】

1. Horseshoe-shaped Jue Ming: Jue Ming Zi (Cassia Seed) is short and cylindrical, with parallel oblique ends, resembling a horseshoe.

【Category】

Seed Category