Introduction of Chuan Lian Zi:Szechwan Chinaberry or Fructus Toosendan.
✵The article gives records of the herb Szechwan Chinaberry, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc., 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 Szechwan Chinaberry, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Fructus Toosendan(Szechwan Chinaberry).
Pin Yin Name: Chuān Liàn Zǐ.
English Name: Szechwan Chinaberry.
Latin Name: Fructus Toosendan.
Property and flavor: cold, bitter, mild toxic.
Brief introduction: The herb Fructus Toosendan is the dried ripe fruit of Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc., used (1).to move Qi for relieving hypochondriac, epigastric and abdominal pain, and (2).to kill parasitic worms in cases of enterobiasis and scabies. The herb is commonly known as Fructus Toosendan, Szechwan Chinaberry, Szechwan Chinaberry Fruit, Chuān Liàn Zǐ.
Botanical source: Herbal classic book defined the herb Fructus Toosendan (Szechwan Chinaberry) as the dried ripe fruit of the species (1).Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc. It is a plant of the Melia Linn. Genus, the Meliaceae family (mahogany family) of the Rutales order. This commonly defined species is introduced:
(1).Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc.
Botanical description: Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc is commonly known as Chuān Liàn. Trees, grow up to 10 meters high or higher; Bark is taupe (dust color); Young branches are densely covered with brown stellate scales, no scales when branches grow old, dark red, lenticellate, phyllules (cicatricles) are conspicuous. Bipinnate or tripinnate imparipinnate leaves, about 35 cm long; pinnae are in 4~5 pairs; lobules (folioles) are oval (egg-shaped) or narrowly ovate, 4~10 cm long, 2~4 cm wide, entire or rarely sparsely serrate.
Panicles are axillary; the calyx is celadon (sage green), 5~6 sepals (calyx lobes), mauve (lilac); 10 or 12 stamens, and filaments connate and are fistuliform (tubulose).
Drupe (drupe fruit) is big, elliptic or subsphaeroidal (near-spherical), about 3 cm long, yellow or chestnut brown, the endocarp is hard ligneous (woody), has ridges, 6~8-loculed. Seeds are oblong oval, and flat. Its flowering period is from March to April, the fruiting period is from September to November.
Ecological environment: The tree grows in shaw (holt or miscellaneous wood forest) and open forest, or at moist places of the flat dam and hilly areas, it is often cultivated near the village or along the highway. It is distributed in the northwest, southwest areas, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and other areas of China.
Growth characteristics: Melia toosendan prefers a warm and moist climate, likes the sun, not tolerant to shade, it can grow in the area at altitudes below 1,000 meters above sea level. It is appropriate to choose a field with sufficient sunshine, deep soil layers, and loose and fertile sandy loam for cultivation.
Characters of herbs: The drupe of the herb is quasi-circular (similar circular) or spherical, 2~3.2 cm in diameter. The surface is golden yellow to brownish-yellow, slightly glossy, shriveled, or slightly sunken, and has dark brown dots. There is a remaining trace of style on the top, concave at the base, with fruit stalk marks. The exocarp is coriaceous, and often has gaps with the pulp; The pulp is loose and soft, primrose yellow (faint yellow), and shows glutinosity when it meets water. The stone (nut) is spherical shape (globular) or oval (egg-shaped), the texture is firm and hard, both ends are truncated, with 6~8 striations (longitudinal ridges), divided into 6~8 loculi (cells), each loculus contains 1 black-brown oblong seed. The herb has a special odor, it tastes sour and bitter. The herb of a better grade is big and full, the pericarp is golden yellow and the pulp is yellowish white.
Pharmacological actions: ①.choleretic effect; ②.obvious killing effect on ascaris suum and leeches(bloodsucker); ③.bactericidal effect in vitro and antibacterial; ④.anti-inflammatory; ⑤.anti-tumor, and other effects, etc.
Medicinal efficacy: Soothe liver and discharge heat, remove dampness and heat, regulate Qi and relieve pain, kill parasites. It is indicated for liver depression forming fire (fire from the stagnation of liver-Qi), pyretic syncope and cardiodynia (heat syncope and heartache), epigastric distended pain, ache and pain in abdomen hypochondria and lateral thorax, colic pain (pain from hernia), tinea capitis (scald head), enterozoic abdominalgia (abdominal pain due to parasitic infestation), etc.
Administration of Fructus Toosendan (Chuān Liàn Zǐ):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Fructus Toosendan (Chuān Liàn Zǐ)
TCM Books:
①.Internally: 5~10 grams. Externally:proper amount, prepare to finely ground herb powder, apply smear; ②.Internally:water decoction, 1.5~3 qian (about 4.5~9 grams), or prepare to pill, powder. Externally:proper amount, prepare to finely ground herb powder, apply stick; ③.Internally:water decoction, 3~10 grams, prepared to pill, powder. Externally:proper amount, prepare to ground herb powder and apply smear. Better use fried herb for activating Qi circulation and relieve pain, better use raw herb for kill parasites.
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1.Introduction of Chuan Lian Zi:Szechwan Chinaberry or Fructus Toosendan.
✵The article gives records of the herb Szechwan Chinaberry, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc., 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 Szechwan Chinaberry, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Pin Yin Name: Chuān Liàn Zǐ.
Botanical description: Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc is commonly known as Chuān Liàn. Trees, grow up to 10 meters high or higher; Bark is taupe (dust color); Young branches are densely covered with brown stellate scales, no scales when branches grow old, dark red, lenticellate, phyllules (cicatricles) are conspicuous. Bipinnate or tripinnate imparipinnate leaves, about 35 cm long; pinnae are in 4~5 pairs; lobules (folioles) are oval (egg-shaped) or narrowly ovate, 4~10 cm long, 2~4 cm wide, entire or rarely sparsely serrate.
Ecological environment: The tree grows in shaw (holt or miscellaneous wood forest) and open forest, or at moist places of the flat dam and hilly areas, it is often cultivated near the village or along the highway. It is distributed in the northwest, southwest areas, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and other areas of China.
Characters of herbs: The drupe of the herb is quasi-circular (similar circular) or spherical, 2~3.2 cm in diameter. The surface is golden yellow to brownish-yellow, slightly glossy, shriveled, or slightly sunken, and has dark brown dots. There is a remaining trace of style on the top, concave at the base, with fruit stalk marks. The exocarp is coriaceous, and often has gaps with the pulp; The pulp is loose and soft, primrose yellow (faint yellow), and shows glutinosity when it meets water. The stone (nut) is spherical shape (globular) or oval (egg-shaped), the texture is firm and hard, both ends are truncated, with 6~8 striations (longitudinal ridges), divided into 6~8 loculi (cells), each loculus contains 1 black-brown oblong seed. The herb has a special odor, it tastes sour and bitter. The herb of a better grade is big and full, the pericarp is golden yellow and the pulp is yellowish white.
Pharmacological actions: ①.choleretic effect; ②.obvious killing effect on ascaris suum and leeches(bloodsucker); ③.bactericidal effect in vitro and antibacterial; ④.anti-inflammatory; ⑤.anti-tumor, and other effects, etc.
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