Introduction of Li Zhi He:Lychee Seed or Semen Litchi.
✵The article gives records of the herb Lychee Seed, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Litchi chinensis Sonn., 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 Lychee Seed, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Semen Litchi(Lychee Seed).
Pin Yin Name: Lì Zhī Hé.
English Name: Lychee Seed.
Latin Name: Semen Litchi.
Property and flavor: warm, sweet, slightly bitter.
Brief introduction: The herb Semen Litchi is the dried ripe seed of Litchi chinensis Sonn., used to move Qi, dissipate nodulation, disperse cold and alleviate pain for treating hernial pain, dysmenorrhea, lower abdominal distension with pain, and swelling and pain of the testis. The herb is commonly known as Semen Litchi, Lychee Seed, Lì Zhī Hé.
Botanical source: Herbal classic book defined the herb Semen Litchi (Lychee Seed) as the dried ripe seed of the species (1). Litchi chinensis Sonn. It is a plant of the Litchi Sonn. Genus, the Sapindaceae family (soapberry family) of the Sapindales order. This commonly defined species is introduced:
(1).Litchi chinensis Sonn.
Botanical description: Litchi chinensis Sonn., is commonly known as Lì Zhī. An evergreen tree, 10~15 meters tall, it usually grows not more than 10 meters tall, sometimes grows up to 15 meters or higher, the bark is grayish-black; Branchlets are terete (cylindrical), maroon, with dense white lenticels.
Paripinnate compound leaf, alternate, its length with petiole is 10~25 cm or over than 25 cm; lobules (folioles) are in 2 or 3 pairs, rarely in 4 pairs, petiolules are 7~8 mm long, leaf blades are lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, sometimes oblong-lanceolate, 6~15 cm long, 2~4 cm wide, the apex is cuspidate or caudate shortly acuminate, entire, glabrous, thinly coriaceous or coriaceous.
Panicles are apical, broad and big, many-branched; flowers are unisexual, monoecious; Calyx is shallow cyathiform (shallow calathiform), deeply 5-parted, covered with golden short fluff; 5 flower petals, inner side of base has broad scales covered with thick hairs; 6~7 stamens, sometimes 8, filaments are about 4 mm long; ovary is densely tuberculose and covered with hirsute.
The fruits are oval (egg-shaped) to subsphaeroidal (near-spherical), 2~3.5 cm long, and usually turn dull red (dirty red) to ruby-red (bright red) when it is mature; The seeds are all enveloped by succulent aril. It is flowering in spring, and the fruiting period is in summer.
Ecological environment: The tree is mainly distributed within the range of 18~29 degrees north latitude in China. It is mostly cultivated in the Zhujiang river area, and also cultivated in the southwest area, and Taiwan of China. It is also cultivated in Southeast Asia and introduced into America and Oceania.
Characters of herbs: The seeds are oblong or ovate-oblong, slightly flat (oblate), 1.5~2.5 cm long, and 0.5~1.5 cm in diameter. The surface is brown to red-brown, or purple-brown, smooth, slightly lustrous, with irregular concave gaps and fine wrinkles; One end is truncated, with orbicular (nearly round) yellowish-brown hilum, 5~7 mm in diameter, and the other end is blunt. The texture of the herb is firm and hard, the seed coat is thinly coriaceous, and crisp when it is cut open; There are 2 hypertrophic cotyledons, orange-yellow or tan (brownish yellow). The herb has a slight odor, it tastes slightly sweet, bitter, and puckery. The herb of better grade has big and full grains.
Pharmacological actions: ①.lower blood glucose in experimental diabetic animals, similar to the effect of metguanidine hypoglycemic agents; ②.regulate internal and external lipid metabolism disorder; ③.antioxidant effect; ④.protect the liver and fight against hepatitis B virus (Anti-HBV).
Medicinal efficacy: Promoting the circulation of Qi and eliminating stagnation, warm the middle energizer, regulate Qi, dispelling cold and relieve pain, dissipate stagnation. It is indicated for cold hernia and abdominal pain, hernia pain, epigastric pain, testicular swelling pain, women's pricking caused by the stagnation of QI and blood, dysmenorrhea (abdominal pain after menstruation), postpartum abdominal pain, etc.
Administration of Semen Litchi (Lì Zhī Hé):
Reference:
Administration Guide of Semen Litchi (Lì Zhī Hé)
TCM Books:
①.Internally:4.5~9 grams; ②.Internally:water decoction,1.5~3 qian (about 4.5~9 grams), or prepare to pill, powder; ③.Internally:water decoction,6~10 grams, prepare to finely ground herb powder,1.5~3 grams, or prepared to pill, powder. Externally:proper amount, prepare to finely ground herb powder, apply stick.
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1.Introduction of Li Zhi He:Lychee Seed or Semen Litchi.
✵The article gives records of the herb Lychee Seed, its English name, Latin name, property and flavor, its botanical source one plant species, ①.Litchi chinensis Sonn., 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 Lychee Seed, its pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guide.
Pin Yin Name: Lì Zhī Hé.
Botanical description: Litchi chinensis Sonn., is commonly known as Lì Zhī. An evergreen tree, 10~15 meters tall, it usually grows not more than 10 meters tall, sometimes grows up to 15 meters or higher, the bark is grayish-black; Branchlets are terete (cylindrical), maroon, with dense white lenticels.
Panicles are apical, broad and big, many-branched; flowers are unisexual, monoecious; Calyx is shallow cyathiform (shallow calathiform), deeply 5-parted, covered with golden short fluff; 5 flower petals, inner side of base has broad scales covered with thick hairs; 6~7 stamens, sometimes 8, filaments are about 4 mm long; ovary is densely tuberculose and covered with hirsute.
Ecological environment: The tree is mainly distributed within the range of 18~29 degrees north latitude in China. It is mostly cultivated in the Zhujiang river area, and also cultivated in the southwest area, and Taiwan of China. It is also cultivated in Southeast Asia and introduced into America and Oceania.
Characters of herbs: The seeds are oblong or ovate-oblong, slightly flat (oblate), 1.5~2.5 cm long, and 0.5~1.5 cm in diameter. The surface is brown to red-brown, or purple-brown, smooth, slightly lustrous, with irregular concave gaps and fine wrinkles; One end is truncated, with orbicular (nearly round) yellowish-brown hilum, 5~7 mm in diameter, and the other end is blunt. The texture of the herb is firm and hard, the seed coat is thinly coriaceous, and crisp when it is cut open; There are 2 hypertrophic cotyledons, orange-yellow or tan (brownish yellow). The herb has a slight odor, it tastes slightly sweet, bitter, and puckery. The herb of better grade has big and full grains.
Pharmacological actions: ①.lower blood glucose in experimental diabetic animals, similar to the effect of metguanidine hypoglycemic agents; ②.regulate internal and external lipid metabolism disorder; ③.antioxidant effect; ④.protect the liver and fight against hepatitis B virus (Anti-HBV).
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