【气味】甘，温，无毒。
【主治】补肾，治腰痛泄精，虚损劳乏（时珍）。
【发明】颂曰∶古方皆用有刺者，治风明目最良。神仙方亦有单服蒺藜法，云不问黑白，
但取坚实者，舂去刺用。
时珍曰∶古方补肾治风，皆用刺蒺藜。后世补肾多用沙苑蒺藜，或以熬膏和药，恐其功
亦不甚相远也。刺蒺藜炒黄去刺，磨面作饼，或蒸食，可以救荒。
（宋《开宝》）
【释名】戴星草（《开宝》）、文星草（《纲目
时珍曰∶谷田余气所生，故曰谷精。
志曰∶白花似星，故有戴星诸名。
【集解】颂曰∶处处有之。春生于谷田中，叶茎俱青，根花并白色。
二月、三月采花用，花白小圆似星。可 马令肥
根微赤，出秦陇间。
时珍曰∶此草收谷后，荒田中生之，江湖南北多有。一科丛生，叶似嫩谷秧。抽细茎，
高四、五寸。茎头有小白花，点点如乱星。九月采花，阴干。云二、三月采者，误也。
花
【气味】辛，温，无毒。藏器曰∶甘，平。
大明曰∶可结水银成砂子。
【主治】喉痹，齿风痛，诸疮疥（《开宝》）。头风痛，目盲翳膜，痘后生翳，止血（时
珍）。
【发明】时珍曰∶谷精体轻性浮，能上行阳明分野。凡治目中诸病，加而用之，甚良。
明目退翳之功，似在菊花之上也。
【附方】旧一，新九。
脑痛眉痛∶谷精草二钱，地龙三钱，乳香一钱，为末。每用半钱，烧烟筒中，随左右熏
鼻。（《圣济录》）
偏正头痛∶《集验方》∶用谷精草一两为末，以白面糊调摊纸花上，贴痛处，干换。
《圣济方》∶用谷精草末、铜绿各一钱，硝石半分。随左右搐鼻。
鼻衄不止∶谷精草为末，熟面汤服二钱。（《圣惠方》）
目中翳膜∶谷精草、防风等分。为末。米饮服之，甚验。（《明目方》）
痘后目翳，隐涩泪出，久而不退∶用谷精草为末，以柿或猪肝片蘸食。一方∶加蛤粉等
分，同入猪肝内煮熟，日食之。又方∶见夜明沙。（邵真人《济急方》）
小儿雀盲，至晚忽不见物∶用羯羊肝一具（不用水洗，竹刀剖开），入谷精草一撮，瓦
罐煮熟，
日食之。屡效。忌铁器。如不肯食，炙熟，捣作丸绿豆大。每服三十丸，茶下。（《卫生家
宝方》）
幼大全》）
[Scent and Flavor] Sweet, warm, non-toxic.
[Indications] Tonifies the Kidney, treats lower back pain, seminal emission, and deficiency fatigue (Shizhen).
[Analysis] Song says: Ancient prescriptions all use those with thorns, which are best for treating wind disorders and improving vision. Immortal prescriptions also have methods for taking Tribulus alone, stating that regardless of color, one should select firm specimens, pound them to remove thorns, and use them.
Shizhen says: Ancient prescriptions for tonifying the Kidney and treating wind all use Spiny Tribulus (Cacumen Tribuli). Later generations mostly used Shan Yuan Ji Li (Astragali Complanati Semen) for tonifying the Kidney, or boiled it into a paste to mix with medicines; it is feared that their efficacy is not far apart. Spiny Tribulus is stir-fried until yellow, thorns removed, ground into powder to make cakes, or steamed for food, which can be used to relieve famine.
(From Song Dynasty *Kaibao Bencao*)
[Names] Daixing Cao (Star-Bearing Grass) (*Kaibao Bencao*), Wenxing Cao (Literary Star Grass) (*Bencao Gangmu*).
Shizhen says: It grows from the residual qi of grain fields, hence named Gujing Cao (Grain Essence Grass).
Zangqi says: Its white flowers resemble stars, hence names like Daixing.
[Collection and Explanation] Song says: It grows everywhere. In spring, it grows in grain fields; leaves and stems are green, roots and flowers are white.
Flowers are harvested in February and March; they are small, round, white, and star-like. They can be fed to horses to fatten them.
Roots are slightly reddish, produced in the Qin and Long regions.
Shizhen says: This herb grows in wasteland after grain harvests, abundant north and south of the Yangtze River. It grows in clumps, leaves resembling young grain seedlings. Thin stems emerge, four to five cun high. Small white flowers appear at stem tips, dotted like scattered stars. Flowers are harvested in September and dried in shade. The claim that they are harvested in February and March is erroneous.
[Scent and Flavor] Pungent, warm, non-toxic. Zangqi says: Sweet, neutral.
Daming says: Can combine with Mercury to form granules.
[Indications] Throat obstruction (Hou Bi), toothache due to wind, various sores and scabies (*Kaibao Bencao*). Headache, blindness with corneal opacity, post-varicella corneal opacity, hemostasis (Shizhen).
[Analysis] Shizhen says: Gujing Cao is light and floating in nature, able to ascend to the Yangming channel distribution. For any eye disorder, adding it yields excellent results. Its merit in brightening eyes and reducing corneal opacity seems superior to Chrysanthemi Flos (Ju Hua).
[Attached Prescriptions] One old, nine new.
Brain and eyebrow pain: Gujing Cao 2 qian, Earthworm 3 qian, Frankincense 1 qian, ground into powder. Use half a qian each time, burn in a smoking tube, and fumigate the nose according to the side of pain (*Shengji Zonglu*).
Lateral and frontal headache: *Jiyan Fang*: Use 1 liang of Gujing Cao ground into powder, mixed with wheat flour paste, spread on paper flowers, applied to the painful area, changed when dry. *Shengji Fang*: Use Gujing Cao powder and Malachite Green 1 qian each, Niter half a qian. Snuff into the nose according to the side of pain.
Persistent epistaxis: Gujing Cao ground into powder, taken with cooked flour water, 2 qian (*Taiping Shenghui Fang*).
Corneal opacity in eyes: Gujing Cao and Saposhnikoviae Radix (Fangfeng) in equal parts. Ground into powder. Taken with rice drink, very effective (*Mingmu Fang*).
Post-varicella corneal opacity, feeling gritty with tearing, persisting for a long time: Use Gujing Cao ground into powder, dipped in persimmon or pig liver slices and eaten. Another method: Add Talcum Powder (Ge Fen) in equal parts, cook together inside a pig liver slice, eat daily. Another method: See Ye Ming Sha entry. (Shao Zhenren *Jiji Fang*)
Pediatric night blindness, sudden inability to see at dusk: Use one ram liver (do not wash with water, cut open with a bamboo knife), add a handful of Gujing Cao, cook in a clay pot, eat daily. Frequently effective. Avoid ironware. If unwilling to eat, roast until cooked, pound into pills the size of mung beans. Take 30 pills each time with tea (*Weisheng Jiaobao Fang*).