✵The article records the herb Buckeye Seed—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical sources—three plant species: (1) Aesculus chinensis Bunge, (2) Aesculus chinensis Bunge var. chekiangensis (Hu et Fang) Fang, and (3) Aesculus wilsonii Rehd.—and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these species, as well as the morphological characteristics of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Semen Aesculi (Buckeye Seed)
Pinyin Name: Suō Luó Zǐ
English Name: Buckeye Seed
Latin Name:Semen Aesculi Property and Flavor: Warm, pungent, sweet
Brief Introduction:Semen Aesculi is the dried ripe seed of Aesculus chinensis Bunge, Aesculus chinensis var. chekiangensis (Hu et Fang) Fang, or Aesculus wilsonii Rehd. It is used to regulate Qi, harmonize the stomach, and alleviate pain—particularly for distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen, and gastralgia. The herb is commonly known as Semen Aesculi, Buckeye Seed, Chinese Buckeye Seed, Wilson’s Buckeye Seed, or Suō Luó Zǐ.
Botanical Source: Classical herbal works define Semen Aesculi (Buckeye Seed) as the dried ripe seed of (1) Aesculus chinensis Bunge, (2) Aesculus chinensis Bunge var. chekiangensis (Hu et Fang) Fang, and (3) Aesculus wilsonii Rehd. These are plants of the genus Aesculus, family Hippocastanaceae (horse-chestnut family), order Sapindales. The three commonly accepted species are described below:
(1) Aesculus chinensis Bunge
Botanical Description:Aesculus chinensis Bunge is commonly known as Qī Yè Shù (“seven-leaf tree”) and Suō Luó Shù. It is a deciduous tree growing up to 25 m tall. The bark is dark brown or taupe; branchlets are terete (cylindrical), tawny (yellowish-brown) or taupe (dust-colored), glabrous or puberulent when young; lenticels are rounded or elliptic and primrose yellow (pale yellow). Winter buds are large and resinous. Leaves are palmately compound, with 5–7 leaflets; petioles are 10–12 cm long and gray puberulent; the petiolule of the terminal leaflet is 1–1.8 cm long, while those of the lateral leaflets are 0.5–1 cm long—both gray puberulent. Leaflets are oblong-lanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate (rarely oblong-ovate), with an acute apex, a cuneate or broadly cuneate base, and bluntly serrated margins; they measure 8–16 cm in length and 3–5 cm in width. The upper surface is glabrous; the midvein and basal portions of the lateral veins on the lower surface are sparsely pubescent; the texture is chartaceous (papery).
Inflorescences are terete (cylindrical); the total length—including peduncle—is 21–25 cm; pedicels are 5–10 cm long. Each secondary inflorescence typically bears 5–10 flowers, is puberulent, and measures 2–2.5 cm in length. Flowers are polygamous, with male and hermaphroditic flowers occurring on the same plant (homothallic). The calyx is tubular-campanulate, puberulent externally, 5-lobed, with obtuse lobes bearing short cilia. There are four white petals, oblong-obovate to oblong-oblanceolate, measuring approximately 8–12 mm in length and 5–1.5 mm in width; margins are ciliate, and the base is unguiculate (clawed). Six stamens are present, glabrous, 1.8–3 cm long; filaments are linear and glabrous; anthers are oblong, pale yellow, and ~1–1.5 mm long. The ovary is rudimentary in male flowers but well-developed in hermaphroditic flowers—ovoid in shape—with a colorless style.
Fruits are globose or obovoid, mucronate or obtuse at the apex, slightly concave at the middle, 3–4 cm in diameter, tawny (yellowish-brown), anacanthous (spineless), and densely covered with verrucose spots. The dried pericarp is 5–6 mm thick. Each fruit contains 1–2 seeds. Seeds are subglobose (nearly spherical), 2–3.5 cm in diameter, chestnut brown; the hilum is white and occupies approximately half the seed volume. Flowering occurs from April to May; fruiting occurs in October.
Ecological Environment: This tree is cultivated throughout China and naturally distributed in mountainous regions. It prefers full sun but exhibits moderate shade tolerance; it thrives in warm climates yet is cold-tolerant; it favors deep, fertile, moist, and well-drained soils. It has a deep root system and strong sprouting capacity. Growth rate is moderate; lifespan is long. Horse-chestnut leaves are susceptible to scorching in hot, dry summers.
Growth Characteristics:Aesculus chinensis is a semi-shade-tolerant species and cold-hardy. It prefers moist, fertile soil.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried fruit is subsphaeroidal (near-spherical), 2.5–4.5 cm in diameter, and a few are 6–8 cm in diameter. The top end is flat or slightly pointed; the base is broadly cuneate and bears ash-gray (grayish-white) or yellowish-brown fruit stalk marks. The surface is sallow (grayish-yellow), coarse, and densely covered with yellowish-brown spots; it has three longitudinal grooves extending from the apex to the carpopodium (fruit stalk). The fruit is trilobed; the husk (fruit shell) is 4–5 mm thick after drying. It contains one seed, which is subsphaeroidal (near-spherical) or irregularly oblate, 2.5–3.5 cm in diameter. The seed surface is uneven; the hilum, located on the upper part, is yellowish-white and occupies about one-third or nearly half of the seed surface. The lower part is spadiceous (chestnut brown), slightly glossy, with sagging and crested features; the base is sunken and bears a slightly protuberant raphe that extends along one side to the hilum. The texture is firm and hard; the fracture surface is white or primrose yellow (faint yellow), and the cotyledon is hypertrophic and powdery. The herb has a weak odor, and the cotyledons taste very bitter.
Medicinal Efficacy: Regulates Qi, soothes the liver, harmonizes the stomach, and relieves pain; expels parasites. It is indicated for chest and abdominal distension, epigastric distension and fullness, epigastric pain, gastric cold pain, breast distension and pain, dysmenorrhea (abdominal pain during or after menstruation), malnutrition-related stagnation and pain due to parasitic infestation, malaria, and dysentery.
Administration of Semen Aesculi (Suō Luó Zǐ):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Semen Aesculi (Suō Luó Zǐ)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 3–9 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 1–3 qian (approximately 3–9 grams), or charred herb (with properties preserved), ground into fine powder; (3) Internally: water decoction, 5–10 grams, or burned to ash and infused in wine.
(2) Aesculus chinensis Bunge var. chekiangensis (Hu et Fang) Fang.
Botanical Description: The tree is commonly known as Zhè Jiāng Qī Yè Shù. It is a variety of Aesculus chinensis Bunge. Differences between this variety and Aesculus chinensis Bunge include: leaflets are thinner; the abaxial surface is green and slightly covered with whitish bloom; lateral veins occur in 18–22 pairs; petiolules are often glabrous and long—those of the middle leaflets measure 1.5–2 cm, while those of the lateral leaflets measure 0.5–1 cm; panicles are long and narrow, typically 30–36 cm long, with a basal diameter of 2.4–3 cm; the calyx lacks white pubescence; the capsule fruit’s husk (fruit shell) is thinner—only 1–2 mm thick when dried; and the hilum is small, occupying about one-third of the seed surface. Its flowering period is in June; its fruiting period is in October.
Ecological Environment: The tree grows (often cultivated) in China, primarily in low-altitude forests.
(3) Aesculus wilsonii Rehd.
Botanical Description:Aesculus wilsonii Rehder is commonly known as Tiān Shī Lì, Hóu Bǎn Lì (“Monkey Chestnut”), etc. It is a deciduous tree reaching 15–20 m in height, occasionally up to 25 m. Leaves are palmately compound and opposite; petioles are 10–12 cm long and pubescent; leaflets number 5–7 or 9, each grow on a petiolule 1.5–2 cm long; leaflet blades are long obovate, elongated-elliptic, or oblanceolate, 10–25 cm long and 3–8.5 cm wide; the apex is narrowly acuminate; the base is broadly cuneate or suborbicular; the margin is slightly recurved and serrulate; the upper surface bears sparse pilose main veins, while the lower surface is floccose or pilose; lateral veins number 15–20 pairs; petioles are pubescent.
Panicles are terminal and up to 35 cm long; pedicels are 10 cm long and covered with fine pilosity. Male and hermaphroditic flowers occur on the same plant but are sparsely distributed—male flowers occupy the upper portion, hermaphroditic flowers the lower portion. The calyx is tubular and 5-lobed; there are four obovate petals of unequal size; seven stamens of unequal length; the ovary of the hermaphroditic flower is trilocular and covered with yellow pubescence; the style is densely pilose.
The capsule fruit is ovoid (egg-shaped), 3–4 cm long, verrucose, with a dried shell thickness of 1.5–2 mm; it becomes trilobed upon maturity. The seed hilum is whitish and occupies less than one-third of the seed surface. Flowering occurs from April to May; fruiting occurs from September to October.
Ecological Environment: The tree grows in broad-leaved forests at altitudes of 1,000–1,800 m above sea level. It is distributed in China.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried fruit of Aesculus wilsonii Rehder resembles that of Aesculus chinensis Bunge, with the following main differences: the fruit is spherical (globular) or ovoid (egg-shaped); surface spots are sparse; and the dried shell is approximately 1 mm thick.
✵The article records the herb Buckeye Seed—its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, and botanical sources—three plant species: (1) Aesculus chinensis Bunge, (2) Aesculus chinensis Bunge var. chekiangensis (Hu et Fang) Fang, and (3) Aesculus wilsonii Rehd.—and provides a detailed introduction to the botanical features, growth characteristics, and ecological environments of these species, as well as the morphological characteristics of the herb, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Suō Luó Zǐ
Botanical Description: Aesculus chinensis Bunge is commonly known as Qī Yè Shù (“seven-leaf tree”) and Suō Luó Shù. It is a deciduous tree growing up to 25 m tall. The bark is dark brown or taupe; branchlets are terete (cylindrical), tawny (yellowish-brown) or taupe (dust-colored), glabrous or puberulent when young; lenticels are rounded or elliptic and primrose yellow (pale yellow). Winter buds are large and resinous. Leaves are palmately compound, with 5–7 leaflets; petioles are 10–12 cm long and gray puberulent; the petiolule of the terminal leaflet is 1–1.8 cm long, while those of the lateral leaflets are 0.5–1 cm long—both gray puberulent. Leaflets are oblong-lanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate (rarely oblong-ovate), with an acute apex, a cuneate or broadly cuneate base, and bluntly serrated margins; they measure 8–16 cm in length and 3–5 cm in width. The upper surface is glabrous; the midvein and basal portions of the lateral veins on the lower surface are sparsely pubescent; the texture is chartaceous (papery).
Inflorescences are terete (cylindrical); the total length—including peduncle—is 21–25 cm; pedicels are 5–10 cm long. Each secondary inflorescence typically bears 5–10 flowers, is puberulent, and measures 2–2.5 cm in length. Flowers are polygamous, with male and hermaphroditic flowers occurring on the same plant (homothallic). The calyx is tubular-campanulate, puberulent externally, 5-lobed, with obtuse lobes bearing short cilia. There are four white petals, oblong-obovate to oblong-oblanceolate, measuring approximately 8–12 mm in length and 5–1.5 mm in width; margins are ciliate, and the base is unguiculate (clawed). Six stamens are present, glabrous, 1.8–3 cm long; filaments are linear and glabrous; anthers are oblong, pale yellow, and ~1–1.5 mm long. The ovary is rudimentary in male flowers but well-developed in hermaphroditic flowers—ovoid in shape—with a colorless style.
Fruits are globose or obovoid, mucronate or obtuse at the apex, slightly concave at the middle, 3–4 cm in diameter, tawny (yellowish-brown), anacanthous (spineless), and densely covered with verrucose spots. The dried pericarp is 5–6 mm thick. Each fruit contains 1–2 seeds. Seeds are subglobose (nearly spherical), 2–3.5 cm in diameter, chestnut brown; the hilum is white and occupies approximately half the seed volume. Flowering occurs from April to May; fruiting occurs in October.
Ecological Environment: This tree is cultivated throughout China and naturally distributed in mountainous regions. It prefers full sun but exhibits moderate shade tolerance; it thrives in warm climates yet is cold-tolerant; it favors deep, fertile, moist, and well-drained soils. It has a deep root system and strong sprouting capacity. Growth rate is moderate; lifespan is long. Horse-chestnut leaves are susceptible to scorching in hot, dry summers.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried fruit is subsphaeroidal (near-spherical), 2.5–4.5 cm in diameter, and a few are 6–8 cm in diameter. The top end is flat or slightly pointed; the base is broadly cuneate and bears ash-gray (grayish-white) or yellowish-brown fruit stalk marks. The surface is sallow (grayish-yellow), coarse, and densely covered with yellowish-brown spots; it has three longitudinal grooves extending from the apex to the carpopodium (fruit stalk). The fruit is trilobed; the husk (fruit shell) is 4–5 mm thick after drying. It contains one seed, which is subsphaeroidal (near-spherical) or irregularly oblate, 2.5–3.5 cm in diameter. The seed surface is uneven; the hilum, located on the upper part, is yellowish-white and occupies about one-third or nearly half of the seed surface. The lower part is spadiceous (chestnut brown), slightly glossy, with sagging and crested features; the base is sunken and bears a slightly protuberant raphe that extends along one side to the hilum. The texture is firm and hard; the fracture surface is white or primrose yellow (faint yellow), and the cotyledon is hypertrophic and powdery. The herb has a weak odor, and the cotyledons taste very bitter.
Botanical Description: The tree is commonly known as Zhè Jiāng Qī Yè Shù. It is a variety of Aesculus chinensis Bunge. Differences between this variety and Aesculus chinensis Bunge include: leaflets are thinner; the abaxial surface is green and slightly covered with whitish bloom; lateral veins occur in 18–22 pairs; petiolules are often glabrous and long—those of the middle leaflets measure 1.5–2 cm, while those of the lateral leaflets measure 0.5–1 cm; panicles are long and narrow, typically 30–36 cm long, with a basal diameter of 2.4–3 cm; the calyx lacks white pubescence; the capsule fruit’s husk (fruit shell) is thinner—only 1–2 mm thick when dried; and the hilum is small, occupying about one-third of the seed surface. Its flowering period is in June; its fruiting period is in October.
Botanical Description: Aesculus wilsonii Rehder is commonly known as Tiān Shī Lì, Hóu Bǎn Lì (“Monkey Chestnut”), etc. It is a deciduous tree reaching 15–20 m in height, occasionally up to 25 m. Leaves are palmately compound and opposite; petioles are 10–12 cm long and pubescent; leaflets number 5–7 or 9, each grow on a petiolule 1.5–2 cm long; leaflet blades are long obovate, elongated-elliptic, or oblanceolate, 10–25 cm long and 3–8.5 cm wide; the apex is narrowly acuminate; the base is broadly cuneate or suborbicular; the margin is slightly recurved and serrulate; the upper surface bears sparse pilose main veins, while the lower surface is floccose or pilose; lateral veins number 15–20 pairs; petioles are pubescent.
Ecological Environment: The tree grows in broad-leaved forests at altitudes of 1,000–1,800 m above sea level. It is distributed in China.
Characteristics of the Herb: The dried fruit of Aesculus wilsonii Rehder resembles that of Aesculus chinensis Bunge, with the following main differences: the fruit is spherical (globular) or ovoid (egg-shaped); surface spots are sparse; and the dried shell is approximately 1 mm thick.
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