Alias: Lian Qiao (连翘), also known as: Lian (连), Yi Qiao (异翘) (from Er Ya), Lan Hua (兰华), Zhi (轵), Zhe Gen (折根), San Lian (三廉) (from Ben Jing), Lian Cao (连草) (from Er Ya Guo Pu’s notes), Da Qiao (大翘) (from Tang Ben Cao), Huang Hua Gan (黄花杆), Huang Shou Dan (黄寿丹), Huang Hua Ban (黄花瓣), Luo Qiao (落翘), Huang Hua Tiao (黄花条).
Ancient Text Origin: Grows in the valleys of Mount Tai (central Shandong Province), harvested in August and dried in the shade; Lian Qiao can be found in various regions; currently, it is found near Bianjing, Henan Province (Kaifeng City), Hezhou (southeastern Gansu Province), Jiangning (Nanjing City), Runzhou (Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province), Zizhou (Jinan City), Zezhou (Jincheng, Shanxi Province), Yanzhou (southwestern Shandong Province), Dingzhou (Changde City, Hunan Province), Yuezhou (Yueyang County, Hunan Province), Lizhou (Guangyuan County, Sichuan Province), and Nankang Jun (Xingzi County, Jiangxi Province).
Medicinal Source: The fruit of the plant Forsythia suspensa, belonging to the Oleaceae family. The fruit is harvested when it is immature or fully ripe. Immature fruits are steamed and dried, retaining a green color, and are referred to as “Qing Qiao”; fully ripe fruits are dried after harvesting, with seeds and impurities removed, referred to as “Lao Qiao”; the seeds are called “Lian Qiao Xin”.
Morphology: Deciduous shrub, 2-4 meters high. Branches are spreading or elongated, slightly vine-like, often rooting at the ground. Young branches are slightly quadrangular, with hollow internodes, solid only at the nodes. Leaves are opposite, or may form 3 leaflets; petioles are 8-20 mm long; leaf blades are ovate, elongated ovate, broad ovate to round, 3-7 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, with tips that taper to a point or are blunt. The base is broadly wedge-shaped or round, with irregular serrated edges; semi-leathery. Flowers bloom before the leaves, axillary, about 2.5 cm long; calyx deeply divided into 4 lobes, oval; corolla tubular at the base, 4-lobed at the top, lobes are ovate. Golden yellow, usually with orange-red stripes; there are 2 stamens attached at the base of the corolla; 1 pistil, with an oval ovary, a long style, and a bifid stigma. The capsule is narrowly oval and slightly flattened, about 15 cm long, with a short beak at the tip, splitting into 2 valves when mature. Seeds are numerous, brown, narrow oval, flat, with a thin wing on one side. Flowering period is from March to May. Fruiting period is from July to August.
Habitat Distribution: Often grows in clusters in mountainous and wild slopes, and is cultivated in various regions.
Resource Distribution: Distributed in Liaoning, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Hubei, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, and other regions. Mainly produced in Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, and Shandong. Additionally, Hubei, Hebei, Sichuan, and Gansu also produce it.
Harvesting: Lian Qiao flowers and fruits after 3-4 years of planting. Medicinally classified into “Qing Qiao” and “Lao Qiao”. Qing Qiao is harvested in early September when the fruit skin is still green and immature, briefly boiled in boiling water or steamed for about 0.5 hours, then dried. Lao Qiao is harvested in early October when the fruit is fully ripe and yellow, and the fruit shell splits open, then dried, with seeds and impurities screened out.
Cultivation: Biological characteristics: Prefers warm and humid climates. Strong adaptability, cold-resistant, and tolerant of poor soil. Prefers full sunlight. Not strict about soil requirements, can grow in humus and sandy gravel soils.
Identification of Properties: Dried fruits are long oval, 1.5-2 cm long, 0.6-1 cm in diameter. The tip is sharp, with a small stalk at the base, or it may have fallen off. The surface has irregular longitudinal wrinkles and many small raised spots, with a distinct longitudinal groove on each side. Qing Qiao is often uncracked, greenish-brown, with fewer raised grayish-white spots, and has many long, narrow seeds with wings on one side, yellow-green in color. Lao Qiao splits from the tip or into two valves, with a surface that is yellow-brown or red-brown, and the inner surface is mostly light yellow-brown, with brown seeds that have mostly fallen off. It has a faint fragrance and a bitter taste. Qing Qiao is best when it is green in color and without branches; Lao Qiao is best when it is yellow, thick-shelled, seedless, and pure.
Pharmacological Effects: Lian Qiao phenol has broad-spectrum antibacterial effects. The volatile oil contained in its seeds also inhibits the Asian influenza virus; additionally, it has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antiemetic, diuretic, and hepatoprotective effects; oleanolic acid has mild cardiotonic effects, improves myocardial contractility, enhances cardiac output and venous return, and corrects endotoxin shock.
Processing: Remove impurities, rub open, and remove branches.
Taste and Properties: Bitter, slightly cold.
① Ben Jing: “Bitter in taste, neutral in nature.”
② Bei Lu: “Non-toxic.”
③ Yi Xue Qi Yuan: “According to Zhu Zhi Mi Jue, it is cool in nature and bitter in taste.”
④ Gang Mu: “Slightly bitter and pungent.”
Meridian Affinity: Lung, Heart, Gallbladder meridians.
① Tang Ye Ben Cao: “Hand and foot Shaoyang, Yangming meridians.”
② Gang Mu: “Shaoyin Heart meridian, Jueyin pericardium Qi division.”
③ Lei Gong Pao Zhi Yao Xing Jie: “Enters the Heart, Liver, Gallbladder, Stomach, San Jiao, and Large Intestine meridians.”
Main Functions and Indications: Clears heat and detoxifies, reduces swelling and disperses nodules. Used for abscesses, scrofula, swollen toxins, mastitis, goiter, throat obstruction, erysipelas, wind-heat colds, initial stages of warm diseases, heat entering the Ying level, high fever with thirst, delirium with rashes, heat stranguria and urinary retention.
Dosage and Administration: Internal use: decoction, 6-15g; or in pills or powders.
Precautions: Not suitable for those with spleen and stomach deficiency, qi deficiency with fever, or for abscesses that have already ruptured with thin, pale pus.
① Ben Cao Jing Shu: “Do not take if abscesses have ruptured, do not take if there is great heat due to deficiency, do not take if the spleen and stomach are weak and prone to diarrhea.”
② Ben Cao Tong Xuan: “Long-term use may lead to cold accumulation problems.”
Various Commentaries:
1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing: Treats cold and heat, mouse wasting, scrofula, abscesses, goiter, and heat accumulation.
2. Ming Yi Bei Lu: Eliminates white worms.
3. Yao Xing Lun: Treats urinary obstruction and removes heat from the heart.
4. Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao: Unblocks the small intestine and drains pus. Treats sores and boils, relieves pain, and regulates menstruation.
5. Li Gao: Disperses blood stasis and qi accumulation; reduces swelling.
6. Wang Hao Gu: Treats deafness and dizziness.
Compatibility:
1. Lian Qiao with Jin Yin Hua (金银花): Lian Qiao is light and clears upward, good for draining heart fire, breaking blood stasis, dispersing qi accumulation, and reducing swelling; Jin Yin Hua is light and fragrant, can clear heat from the Qi level and detoxify blood poison. The combination enhances the ability to clear heat, cool blood, and detoxify.
2. Lian Qiao with Chuan Mu Tong (川木通): Lian Qiao is slightly bitter and cold, good for clearing heat and detoxifying, dispersing abscesses, and promoting urination; Chuan Mu Tong is bitter and cold, can clear heart fire and drain damp-heat from the small intestine and bladder. Together, they clear heart heat and promote urination.
3. Lian Qiao with Mu Li (牡蛎): Lian Qiao clears heat and detoxifies, disperses abscesses, commonly used for scrofula; Mu Li is salty, astringent, and slightly cold, good for softening hardness and dispersing nodules. Together, they enhance the effect of dispersing nodules and phlegm.
4. Lian Qiao with Zhi Zi (栀子): Lian Qiao is light and cool, a key herb for draining heart fire; Zhi Zi is bitter and cold, good for clearing heat and cooling blood, governing the fire of the three Jiao meridians. Together, they can clear the heart and relieve irritability, cool blood, and detoxify.
5. Lian Qiao with Bei Mu (贝母): Lian Qiao clears heat and drains fire, reduces swelling and disperses nodules; Bei Mu clears heat and transforms phlegm, unblocks qi. Together, they have the effect of detoxifying, dispersing nodules, and transforming phlegm.
Additional Formulas:
① Treats Taiyin wind warmth, warm heat, warm epidemic, and winter warmth, with initial symptoms of heat without aversion to cold and thirst: Lian Qiao 1 liang, Jin Yin Hua 1 liang, Ku Ju Gen 6 qian, Bo He 6 qian, Zhu Ye 4 qian, Sheng Gan Cao 5 qian, Jie Sui 4 qian, Dan Dou Chi 5 qian, Niu Bang Zi 6 qian. Grind into a powder, take 6 qian each time, decoct with fresh reed root soup, take when fragrant, do not overboil. For severe cases, take twice a day; for mild cases, take three times a day; if the illness does not resolve, take again. (From Wen Bing Tiao Bian Yin Qiao San)
② Treats all types of heat in children: Lian Qiao, Fang Feng, Gan Cao (roasted), and Shan Zhi Zi in equal parts. Grind into a powder, take 2 qian each time, decoct with 1 medium cup of water, reduce to 7 parts, strain and take warm. (From Lai Zheng Huo Ren Shu Lian Qiao Yin)
③ Treats red rashes and toxins: Lian Qiao alone, decoct and drink. (From Yu Qiao Yi Ling)
④ Treats mastitis and breast lumps: Lian Qiao, male mouse feces, dandelion, and Chuan Bei Mu, each 2 qian. Decoction for oral use. (From Yu Qiao Yi Ling)
⑤ Treats scrofula and tuberculosis that do not resolve: Lian Qiao, Gui Jian Yu, Qu Mai, and Gan Cao (roasted) in equal parts. Grind into a fine powder, take 2 qian each time, mix with rice water before bed. (From Yang Shi Jia Cang Fang Lian Qiao San)
⑥ Treats tongue ulcers: Lian Qiao 5 qian, Huang Bai 3 qian, Gan Cao 2 qian. Decoction for gargling. (From Yu Qiao Yi Ling)
Jiu Xuan Tang Medical Formulas
1. Qing Dai, Zhi Zi, Lian Qiao, Shui Niu Jiao, Zhi Mu, Xuan Shen, Sheng Di, Chai Hu, Ren Shen, Gan Cao, Da Huang, Gan Jiang, Jujube, Da Qing Ye, Fang Feng, Bai Zhi, Huang Qi, Si Gua Yang. (From October Maintenance and San Jiao Meridian Maintenance Formula)
2. Sheng Di, Huang Lian, Huang Qin, Dan Shen, Shi Gao, Zhi Zi, Gan Cao, Zhu Ye, Shui Niu Jiao, Xuan Shen, Lian Qiao, Zhi Mu, Shao Yao, Ju Pi, Sheng Ma. (From December Maintenance and Liver Meridian Maintenance Formula)
3. Mu Xiang, Hong Ju Pi, Huang Lian, E Zhu, Jiang Ban Xia, Huang Qin, Fu Ling, Long Dan Cao, Lian Qiao, Qing Feng Teng, Gou Teng, Mu Gua, Hong Dou Kou, Ye Ju Hua, Yang Ru Shen each 10 grams, Ding Xiang 5 grams, Xue Jian Cao 20 grams, Wu Mei 15 pieces, for external use by washing. (From Jiu Xuan Xiao Zhen Lue Zhi Bai Hua Bing)
4. Huang Qin 10 grams, Huang Lian 10 grams, Lian Qiao 10 grams, Yuan Shen 15 grams, Sheng Shi Gao 50 grams, Zhi Mu 10 grams, Chi Shao 10 grams, Sheng Di 10 grams, Shui Niu Jiao 25 grams, Ban Lan Gen 10 grams, Gan Cao 15 grams, Xia Ku Cao 15 grams, Jiang Ban Xia 10 grams, Da Huang 20 grams, Ce Bai Ye 15 grams, Dan Pi 10 grams, Lu Dou 50 grams, Jiang 15 grams, Dang Gui 10 grams, Jin Yin Hua 10 grams, Ma Huang 15 grams, Huo Xiang 15 grams, and Pu Gong Ying 10 grams. Decoct in water for washing or bathing, for severe cases can be taken internally. (From Jiu Xuan Xiao Zhen Lue Zhi Huo Luan)
5. Huang Qi 15 grams, Bai Shao 10 grams, Shu Di 10 grams, Huang Bai 10 grams, Jin Yin Hua 10 grams, Lian Qiao 10 grams, Cu Wei Zi 8 grams, Lian Qian Cao 10 grams, Che Qian Cao 10 grams, Niu Xi 10 grams, Du Zhong 10 grams, Yin Chen 10 grams, Da Ji 10 grams, Mai Ya 15 grams, Da Huang 5 grams, Gan Cao 10 grams. Decoct for internal use, one dose per day, taken twice. (From Jiu Xuan Xiao Zhen Lue Zhi Niao Du Zhen)
6. Huang Qi 10 grams, Bai Shao 10 grams, Dan Shen 10 grams, Shu Di 10 grams, Pu Gong Ying 10 grams, Qing Hao 15 grams, Qian Nian Jian 15 grams, Che Qian Cao 10 grams, Xiao Luo San 8 grams, Song Shu Tiao 15 grams, Sheng Jiang 3 slices, Da Zao 8 pieces, Lian Qiao 10 grams, He Huan Pi 10 grams, Bai Jie Zi 10 grams, Chen Pi 10 grams. Add appropriate amount of water, decoct for washing the whole body or apply to affected areas, can also be taken internally. (From Jiu Xuan Xiao Zhen Lue Zhi Gu Sui Yan)
7. Ren Shen 10 grams, Dang Gui 10 grams, Lian Qiao 8 grams, Jin Yin Hua 8 grams, Huang Lian 6 grams, Zhi Zi 10 grams, Huo Xiang 10 grams, Cao Dou Kou 15 grams, Chi Shao 10 grams, Dan Pi 8 grams, Ma Chi Xian 15 grams, Qiang Huo 15 grams, Fang Feng 10 grams, Sheng Jiang 3 slices, Da Zao 10 pieces, decoct for internal use, one dose per day, taken twice. (From Jiu Xuan Xiao Zhen Lue Zhi Fu Shu)