Introduction of Jin Qian Cao:Christina Loosetrife Herb or Herba Lysimachiae.

TCM Herbalism:Medicinals and Classifications. ✵The article gives records of the herb Christina Loosetrife, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Lysimachia christinae Hance., with a detailed introduction to the botanical features of this plant species, the growth characteristics, and ecological environment of this plant species, the features of the herb Christina Loosetrife, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.

Herba Lysimachiae(Christina Loosetrife).

dried herb pieces of Herba Lysimachiae Pin Yin Name: Jīn Qián Cǎo.
 English Name: Christina Loosetrife,Christina Loosetrife Herb.
 Latin Name: Herba Lysimachiae.
 Property and flavor: cool, sweet, slightly bitter.

 Brief introduction: The herb Herba Lysimachiae is the dried entire plant of Lysimachia christinae Hance, used (1).as a cholagogue, lithagogue, and diuretic for the treatment of acute jaundice, biliary and urinary calculi, and (2).to relieve toxicity and reduce swelling in cases of boils and venomous snake-bite. The herb is commonly known as Herba Lysimachiae, Christina Loosetrife, Jīn Qián Cǎo.

 Botanical source: Herbal classic book defined the herb Herba Lysimachiae (Christina Loosetrife) as the dried entire plant of the species (1). Lysimachia christinae Hance. It is a plant of the Lysimachia genus, the Primulaceae family (primrose family) of the Primulales order. This commonly used species is introduced:

(1).Lysimachia christinae Hance.


 plant of Lysimachia christinae Hance with a yellow flower grow in field Botanical description: Lysimachia christinae Hance is commonly known as Guò Lù Huáng. A perennial, rampant herb. Stem is soft and weak, procumbent and spread, 20~60 cm long, the surface is celadon (sage green) or reddish violet, the whole plant is glabrous or covered with sparse hairs, fresh part is densely covered with brown sessile glands, internodes on the lower part are shorter, adventitious roots often grow out, internodes in the middle part are 1.5~5 cm long or up to 10 cm long.

 Leaves are opposite; petioles are 1~3 cm long, glabrous; leaf blades are oval(egg-shaped), orbicular to rounded reniform, 1.5~2~6~8 cm long, 1~4~6 cm wide, the apex is sharp-pointed or obtuse to rounded, the base is truncate to shallowly cordate, slightly succulent, dense transparent glandular strips are visible in lights, glandular strips turn black when it is dried, both surfaces are glabrous, but have glandular hairs.

 many plants of Lysimachia christinae Hance with many small yellow flowers grow in a cluster Flowers are solitary and grow in leaf axils; Pedicels (flower stalks) are 1~5 cm long, usually no longer than leaf length, young and fresh pedicels are hirsutiusculus (slightly piliferous), somewhat have brown sessile glands; Calyx is 4~10 mm long, deeply 5-parted, dividing nearly to base, lobes are lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate to linear or the upper part is slightly enlarged and nearly spatulate (nearly spoon-shaped), apex is sharp-pointed or slightly obtuse, glabrous, pubescent or only the margin has marginal seta; Corolla is yellow, rotate-campanulate, 7~15 mm long, deeply 5-parted, connate part of the base is 2~4 mm long, lobes are narrowly ovate to lanceate (nearly lanceolate), the apex is sharp-pointed or obtuse, slightly thicker, has long black glandular strips; 5 stamens, filaments are 6~8 mm long, lower part connate to a tube; Anthers are ovoid, 1~1.5 mm long; Ovary is ovoid or ovulate, style is 6-8 mm long.

 Capsularfruit is spheric in shape (globular), 3~5 mm in diameter, glabrous, and has sparse black glandular strips. Its flowering period is from May to July, the fruiting period is from July to October.

 flowering plants of Lysimachia christinae Hance with several yellow flowers grow in a cluster Ecological environment: The plant grows on earth slopes, roadsides, edges of the ditch, at the dank places of gully edges, and forest edges, and its vertical distribution can reach areas at altitudes of 2,300 meters above sea level. The plant is mainly distributed in central and southern areas, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Zhujiang River area, and southwest areas of China.

 Growth characteristics: The plant Lysimachia christinae prefers a warm, cool, moist environment, not tolerant to coldness. It is appropriate to choose fields with fertile and loose, humus-rich sandy soil for cultivation.

 dried herb pieces and segments of Christina Loosetrife Characters of herbs: The whole herb is wrinkled into a lump, the node on the lower stem part sometimes has tender fibrous roots, glabrous or sparsely pilose. Stems are twisted, about 1 mm in diameter; The surface is brick red (reddish-brown) or dark brown-red, has vertical veins, and sometimes slender fibrous roots are attached to the lower stem nodes; The fracture surface is solid, ash gray (grayish white). The leaves are opposite, mostly wrinkled and broken, the whole intact leaves are broadly ovate or cordate, entire, 1~4 cm long and 1~5 cm wide, the base is slightly concave, the upper surface is dark green to brown green, the under surface is pale, the main veins are obviously protruding, and there are black or brown short stripes can be seen against light after the herb is soaked in water; The petiole is thin and long, 1~4 cm long, sometimes flowers or fruits in leaf axils are visible, flowers are yellow, solitary leaf axils and long stalks. The herb has a slight odor and a mild taste. The herb of a better grade has large leaves and green color.

 Pharmacological actions: ①.diuretic effect; ②.promote bile secretion and excretion; ③.removing calculus; ④.analgesia; ⑤.bacteriostasis; ⑥.anti-inflammatory.

 Medicinal efficacy: Clear the dampness and heat, diuretic, treating stranguria, alleviate water retention, relieve cough, detumescence (reduce swelling), eliminating stasis to activate blood circulation, clear heat and detoxification, detoxification. It is indicated for pyretic stranguria (heat stranguria), stony stranguria, stranguria with turbid discharge, difficulty in urination with pains, jaundice, jaundice and red urine, damp-heat jaundice, edema, nephritis dropsy (kidney inflammation and dropsy), rheumatism and numbness pain, infantile malnutrition and indigestion, convulsive epilepsy, malaria, pulmonary abscess (abscess of the lung), cough, hematemesis (vomiting blood), morbid leukorrhea, hepatobiliary and urinary calculi, hepatic calculus and biliary calculus, lithangiuria (urinary calculi), cystic calculus (vesical calculus), carbuncle and swollen, carbuncle swollen boils, sores and tinea, eczema, venomous snake bite, traumatic injury.

 Administration of Herba Lysimachiae (Jīn Qián Cǎo): 
 
Reference: Administration Guide of Herba Lysimachiae (Jīn Qián Cǎo)
TCM Books: ①.Internally: 15~60 grams, double dosage for fresh herb; ②.Internally:water decoction, 3~5 qian (about 9~15 grams),fresh herb 1~2 liang (about 30~60 grams), or infusing in wine, extract juice.Externally:mashed and apply stick, or extract juice and smear; ③.Internally:water decoction, 15~60 grams, double dosage for fresh herb, or extract juice and drink.Externally:proper amount, mashed fresh herb and apply stick.

 

 
  

 

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References:
  • 1.Introduction of Jin Qian Cao:Christina Loosetrife Herb or Herba Lysimachiae.

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