Introduction of Bai Bian Dou:White Hyacinth Bean or Semen Lablab Album.

TCM Herbalism:Medicinals and Classifications. ✵The article gives records of the herb White Hyacinth Bean, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Dolichos lablab L., 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 White Hyacinth Bean, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.

Semen Lablab Album(White Hyacinth Bean).

Semen Lablab Album:herb photo Pin Yin Name: Bái Biǎn Dòu.
 English Name: White Hyacinth Bean.
 Latin Name: Semen Lablab Album.
 Property and flavor: slightly warm in nature, tastes sweet.

 Brief introduction: The herb Semen Lablab Album is the dried ripe seed of Dolichos lablab L., used to strengthen the spleen and resolve dampness for the treatment of (1).weakness of the spleen and stomach with anorexia, loose stools, and leukorrhagia, and (2).vomiting and diarrhea due to summer dampness. The herb is commonly known as Semen Lablab Album, White Hyacinth Bean, Bái Biǎn Dòu.

 Botanical source: Herbal classic book defined the herb Semen Lablab Album(White Hyacinth Bean) as the dried ripe seed of the species (1). Dolichos lablab L. It is a plant of the Lablab genus, the Fabaceae family (Leguminosae, Papilionaceae, legume, pea family) of the Rosales order. This commonly used species is introduced:

(1).Dolichos lablab L.


 Dolichos lablab L.:growing plant with green pods Botanical description: It is commonly known as Biǎn Dòu. Perennial herb, twining vine. The entire plant is almost glabrous, stem length is up to 6 meters, often pale purple. Pinnately compound leaves with 3 lobules; Toleolate, lanceolate; Stipules are small linear, 3~4 mm long; Lobules are broadly triangular-ovate, 6~10 cm long, ca. As long as a face, lateral lobules are unequal on both sides, oblique, apex is pointed or acuminate, base is subtruncated.

 Racemes are upright, 15~25 cm long, raceme axis is stout, pedicels are 8~14 cm long; 2 Bracteoles, suborbicular, 3 mm long, deciduous; 2 Flowers at most clusters on each node; Calyx is campanulate, ca. 6 mm, upper 2-lobed teeth somewhat united, lower 3 nearly equal; Corolla is white or purple, flag round, two long upright appendices on both sides of the base, two ears below appendage, wing is broadly obovate, ears are truncated, keel flap right angle bent, base tapering into flap stalk; Ovary is linear, glabrous, style is longer than ovary, not more than 90° bent, flat on one side, inner margin near top hairy.

 Dolichos lablab L.:growing plant with brown pods Pod is oblong-falcate, 5~7 cm long, the widest near apex, 1.4~1.8 cm wide, flat, straight or slightly dorsiventrally curved, apex is with curved beak, base is tapering; 3~5 seeds, flat, oblong, white in white flower species, purple-black in purple flower species, navel linear, about 2/5 long around the seed. Its flowering period is from April to December.

 Dolichos lablab L.:growing plant with green pods and flowers Ecological Environment: The suitable germination temperature of seeds is 22~23 °C (Celsius, or 71.6~73.4 degrees Fahrenheit), and the plants can withstand the high temperature around 35 °C (Celsius, or 95 degrees Fahrenheit). Developed and strong root system, strong drought tolerance, wide adaptability to the soil, planting yield significantly in good drainage and fertile sandy soil or loam. Lentils are mainly distributed in the whole tropical and subtropical warm areas. Lentils are widely distributed in China. It is cultivated all over the country. They are cultivated more in the south of the Yangtze River. Because lentil is a small crop, it is suitable for the garden cultivation or sporadic cultivation.

 Growth characteristics: The Dolichos lablab prefers a warm and humid climate, afraid of frost, frost damage affects its growth, might lead to plant death. Seedling need moist, should pay attention to water. The flowering period requires drought, the high moisture level of air and soil easily leads to flower dropping. They like to grow on fertile, well-drained sandy soil.

 White Hyacinth Bean:herb photo Characters of herbs: Seeds are flat oval or flat ovoid, 0.8~1.3 cm long, 6~9 mm wide, and 7 mm thick. The surface is yellowish-white or yellowish, smooth and slightly glossy, some of them have brown spots, and one side edge has a raised white half-moon strophiole. The strophiole is 7~10 mm in length. After peeling off, the concave hilum is visible. The end which connects with the strophiole has a micropyle, the other end has a raphe. The texture of the seed is firm and hard, the seed coat is thin and brittle, 2 cotyledons, hypertrophic, yellow-white. The herb has a slight odor, it tastes mild, and bean smell when chewed. The herb of better grade has big, full, and white grains.

 Pharmacological actions: ①.anti-trypsin activity; ②.water decoction has antibacterial, antiviral effect, has the inhibitory effect to dysentery bacillus; ③.detoxification effect to the food poisoning and vomiting, acute gastroenteritis and so on; ④.enhance the activity of T lymphocyte; ⑤.improve the immune function of the cell.

 Medicinal efficacy: Invigorate the spleen, resolving dampness, regulating the middle energizer, relieve summer heat. It is indicated for weakness of spleen and stomach, anorexia or inappetence, insufficiency of the spleen resulting in production of dampness, loose stool and diarrhea, poor appetite and loose stool, leukorrhagia, summer-heat and damp vomiting and diarrhea, chest tightness and abdominal distension, polydipsia and chest tightness. The fried herb invigorating spleen for eliminating dampnes, it is indicated for splenasthenic diarrhea, leukorrhagia, etc.  

 Administration of Semen Lablab Album (Bái Biǎn Dòu): 
 
Reference: Administration Guide of Semen Lablab Album (Bái Biǎn Dòu)
TCM Books: ①.Internally:9~15 grams; ②.Internally:water decoction, 10~15 grams;or fresh herb extract juice with water;or prepare to pill, powder. Externally:proper amount, mashed and apply stick.

 
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  • 1.Introduction of Bai Bian Dou:White Hyacinth Bean or Semen Lablab Album.

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