Pinyin: Lingxiaohua
Aliases
Ziweihua, Diaoqianghua, Dulinqiaohua.
Source
Plants of the Bignoniaceae family, genus *Campsis*.Campsis grandifloraDried flower of (Thunb.) K.Schum.
Botanical Description
Deciduous woody vine, climbing onto other objects with aerial roots. Stem yellow-brown with angular reticulate fissures. Leaves opposite, odd-pinnately compound; rachis 3-4 cm long; petiolules 5-10 mm long, with 7-9 leaflets, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 4-6 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, apex caudate-acuminate, base broadly cuneate, unequal on both sides, margin coarsely serrate, glabrous on both surfaces, with pale yellow-brown tufted hairs at the petiolule attachment. Inflorescence terminal, paniculate, flowers large, 4-5 cm in diameter; calyx campanulate, unequally 5-lobed, lobes reaching the middle of the tube, lanceolate; corolla funnelform-campanulate, 5-lobed, lobes rounded, orange-red, spreading; stamens 4, 2 long and 2 short; ovary superior, with a disc at the base. Capsule long, legume-like, with a stipe; 2-valved. Seeds numerous, flat, with transparent wings. Flowering July to September, fruiting August to October.
Habitat and Distribution
Grows in valleys, beside small rivers, under sparse forests, climbing on trees and rock faces, and also cultivated in gardens. Distributed in East China, Central South China, and Hebei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, and other regions.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest during summer and autumn when flowers are in full bloom, then dry.
Medicinal Properties
Mostly shriveled and curled, yellowish-brown or brownish-brown, intact flowers 4-5 cm long. Calyx tube campanulate, 2-2.5 cm long, 5-lobed, split to the middle, with 5 longitudinal ridges from the base of the calyx tube to the tips of the calyx teeth. Corolla apex 5-lobed, lobes semicircular, lower part united into a funnel shape, with fine veins visible on the surface, more prominent on the inner surface. Stamens 4, attached to the corolla, 2 long and 2 short, anthers "I"-shaped, style 1, stigma flattened. Odor: faintly aromatic; Taste: slightly bitter and sour.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains apigenin, capsanthin, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, arjunolic acid,β- Sitosterol, Campsis grandiflora red pigment and other components.
Pharmacology
Has inhibitory effects on vasoconstriction of vascular smooth muscle, antithrombotic effects, and rhythmic excitatory or inhibitory effects on uterine smooth muscle.
Properties and Channel Entry
Sweet, sour, and cold in nature. Enters the Liver and Pericardium channels.
Functions and Indications
Activates Blood, unblocks the menses, cools Blood, and expels Wind
Dosage and Administration
Oral: decocted in water, 3-6 g; or taken in powder form. External use: appropriate amount, ground into powder and applied; or decocted for steam washing.
Precautions and Contraindications
For patients with Qi and Blood deficiency, those without internal stasis and Heat, and pregnant women, use with caution.
Prescriptions
1. For amenorrhea in women: Lingxiaohua (Campsis Flower) ground into powder, take 6 g before meals with warm wine. (From Xu's Treatise on Obstetrics and Gynecology) 2. For metrorrhagia and metrostaxis with blood discharge: Lingxiaohua powder, take one square-inch spoon with warm wine, three times daily. (From Guangli Prescriptions) 3. For wasting-thirst (diabetes) with excessive drinking that does not resolve: Lingxiaohua 30 g, crush it. Add one and a half large bowls of water, decoct to one bowl, remove the residue, and take warm in three divided doses. (From Sheng Hui Prescriptions) 4. For generalized itching: Lingxiaohua ground into powder, mix with wine and take 3 g. (From Yixue Zhengzhuan) 5. For skin dampness tinea: Lingxiaohua and Yangtigen (Rumex root) in equal amounts, add an appropriate amount of dried alum, grind into powder and apply to the affected area. (From Shanghai Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Medicine) 6. For chronic tinea: Lingxiaohua powder, dip a Yangtigen into the powder and apply to the affected area; very effective. (From Pu Ji Prescriptions) 7. For female genital sores: Lingxiaohua ground into powder, mix with carp brain or bile and apply topically. (From Zhai Xuan Prescriptions)
