Lian Qiao (Forsythia) is the dried fruit of the plant Forsythia suspensa, belonging to the Oleaceae family. The Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing states: “Lian Qiao, also known as Yi Qiao, Lan Hua, Zhe Gen, Zhi, and San Lian.” The Er Ya mentions: “Lian, Yi Qiao,” with Guo Pu’s commentary noting: “Also known as Lian Tiao, and another name is Lian Cao.” The Yao Xing Lun states: “Lian Qiao, also known as Han Lian Zi.” Regarding the origin of the name Lian Qiao, the Zheng Lei Ben Cao provides a detailed account: “The illustrated classic states: Lian Qiao, in autumn, the fruit resembles a lotus, forming a pod, protruding above other grasses, hence the name. According to Shi Zhen: According to Er Ya: Lian, Yi Qiao. Thus, the original name is Lian, also known as Yi Qiao, which people commonly refer to as Lian Qiao. The extended meaning states: Lian Qiao, now only its seeds are used, breaking it, the pieces resemble protrusions, hence the name.”1
Photographed in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal medicine laboratory (Liu Hongyan)
Properties and Efficacy
Taste and Meridian Affinity: Bitter, slightly cold. Enters the Lung, Heart, and Small Intestine meridians.
Efficacy and Applications: Clears heat and detoxifies, reduces swelling and disperses nodules, disperses wind-heat. Used for abscesses, scrofula, mastitis, erysipelas, wind-heat colds, initial stages of warm diseases, heat entering the nutrient level, high fever with thirst, delirium with rashes, and painful heat stranguria.
Dosage and Administration
Decocted for oral administration, 6-15g. Qing Qiao (Green Forsythia) has a stronger ability to clear heat and detoxify; Lao Qiao (Old Forsythia) is better at penetrating heat to the surface and dispersing wind-heat; Lian Qiao (Forsythia) is better at clearing the heart and draining fire, commonly used to treat symptoms such as high fever and irritability due to evil entering the pericardium.
Precautions
Not suitable for those with spleen and stomach deficiency-cold and qi deficiency with purulent conditions.
Summary from Ancient Texts
Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: Bitter in taste, neutral, non-toxic. Treats cold and heat, mouse paralysis, scrofula, abscesses, ulcers, goiter, heat accumulation, and toxic substances. Grows in mountainous valleys.
Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao: Lian Qiao, connects with the Small Intestine, expels pus, treats sores and boils, alleviates pain, regulates menstruation. Found in solitary stems, slightly opening three to four yellow flowers, bearing seeds, with pods inside, harvested in May and June.
Ming Yi Bie Lu: Non-toxic. Eliminates white worms. Grows in Tai Mountain. Harvested in August, dried in the shade.
Ben Cao Cuo Yao: Bitter and neutral. Enters the Shao Yang and Shao Yin meridians. Also enters the Yang Ming meridian. Specializes in dispersing blood stasis and qi accumulation. Drains heat from the heart and Small Intestine. Combined with Qu Mai, Da Huang, and Gan Cao to treat neck and shoulder pain. Combined with Zhi Ma to treat scrofula. Alleviates pain, reduces swelling, and expels pus. A sacred medicine for sores.
Yao Xing Lun: Also known as Han Lian Zi. Primarily benefits the five types of stranguria, alleviates urinary obstruction, and removes heat from the heart.
Zhen Zhu Nang: Bitter and neutral, slightly yang in nature. It can eliminate various types of heat; also treats sores and abscesses in the hands and feet.
Ben Cao Gang Mu: Lian Qiao resembles the human heart, with two lobes forming a pod, containing fragrant seeds, serving as a primary medicine for the Shao Yin Heart and Jue Yin pericardium. It treats all types of pain and itching sores, which are attributed to heart fire, thus being a sacred medicine for sores in the twelve meridians, also treating heat in the Shao Yang and Yang Ming meridians.
Ben Cao Meng Quan: Effectively drains heart heat, alleviates spleen and stomach damp-heat. Drives out toxic abscesses and eliminates white worms. A sacred medicine for sores, especially effective for blood stasis. Regulates menstruation and alleviates stranguria, thus dispersing blood stasis and qi accumulation. Therefore, it is essential and should not be omitted. Suitable for those with excess conditions, but not for the deficient.
Ben Cao Hai Li: A clear but non-tonifying herb, should not be taken after abscesses have ruptured, nor by those with heat due to deficiency. Bitter and cold, it obstructs the stomach; excessive consumption may reduce appetite, and those with weak spleen and stomach should avoid it. Bitter and cold, it enters the heart, gallbladder, San Jiao, and Large Intestine, primarily serving as a medicine for the Shao Yin. It clears heart heat, Yang Ming damp-heat, disperses blood stasis and qi accumulation, promotes urination, and regulates menstruation. All painful sores are attributed to heart fire, thus being a sacred medicine for sores. Qiao Xin is even more bitter and cold, especially effective at draining heart fire. When warm heat enters the heart and nutrient level, this herb is essential for treatment.
Ben Cao Bei Yao: Light, dispersing, and cooling. Slightly cold and elevating. Resembles the heart (actually has a lotus pod with lobes), bitter and enters the heart, thus entering the Shao Yin and Jue Yin (heart, pericardium) qi levels and draining fire, also clearing heat from the Shao Yang and Yang Ming (San Jiao, gallbladder) qi levels. Disperses blood stasis and qi accumulation (due to stagnation of Ying Qi and Wei Qi, leading to sores and swelling), promotes urination and regulates menstruation, kills parasites, alleviates pain, reduces swelling, and expels pus (all accumulations should be dispersed. Painful swellings are due to excess evil, non-painful swellings are due to deficiency, red swellings are due to heat accumulation, and non-red swellings are due to phlegm stagnation). A sacred medicine for sores in the twelve meridians (the classics state: all painful and itchy sores are attributed to heart fire).
Ben Cao Qiu Zhen: Lian Qiao (primarily enters the heart). Bitter and slightly cold. Light and floating. Although the texts mention it drains the six meridians of blood heat, its light and clear nature is primarily for draining heart heat (Lian Qiao resembles the heart but has lobes). The heart is the master of fire. When the heart is clear, all organs are also clear. However, if damp-heat is not eliminated, numerous diseases will arise. Therefore, it treats abscesses, toxic conditions, cold and heat, scrofula, ulcers, heat accumulation, and toxic substances.
Yi Xue Zhong Zhong Can Xi Lu: Lian Qiao, with a slightly bitter and cool taste. Possesses the ability to elevate and disperse, circulates qi and blood, treats blood stasis and qi accumulation in the twelve meridians, and is a crucial medicine for sores. It can release the exterior and resolve muscle tension, clear heat and expel wind, also serving as a key medicine for wind-heat. Additionally, it can expel toxins outward, making it a vital medicine for rashes and itching. Due to its cool and elevating nature, it is also effective for head and eye diseases, including headaches, eye pain, toothaches, nasal congestion, or purulent nasal discharge leading to brain leakage. Its mild taste can promote urination, thus effectively treating stranguria.
Lei Gong Pao Zhi Yao Xing Jie: Drains blood heat from the six meridians, disperses various swellings and sores, benefits the Small Intestine, eliminates white worms, regulates menstruation, treats the five types of stranguria, breaks goiters, and detoxifies pox poison.
Distribution on Campus
Photographed in the small forest on the health side of the Henan River
Photographed at the east side of the south gate of the second cafeteria
Photographed on the south side of Building 9 in the Peach Garden
【References】
[1] Wang Ning. The Materia Medica Examination of Lian Qiao [J]. Chinese Medicinal Materials, 2013, 36(4): 670-674.
Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
New Media Center
Advisor: Chen Shuguang (Master’s student in Clinical Traditional Chinese Medicine, Class of 2017)
Images: Liu Hongyan, Zhuang Haoyan
Editor: Yu Yue
Technical: Yu Yue
Chief Editors: Liu Ming, Yu Chengjun
