Pinyin: Lulutong
Aliases
Fengshi, Fengxiangguo, Jiukongzi, Langmu
Source
Plant of the family Hamamelidaceae, *Liquidambar formosana* Hance.Liquidambar formosanaThe dried mature infructescence of Hance.
Botanical Description
Deciduous tree, 20-40 m tall. Bark grayish-brown, exfoliating in blocks. Leaves alternate; petiole 3-7 cm long; stipules linear, deciduous; leaf blade cordate, often 3-lobed, leaves on young shoots and sprouts mostly palmately 5-lobed, 6-12 cm long, 8-15 cm wide, lobes ovate-triangular or ovate, apex caudate-acuminate, base cordate, margin serrulate with glandular teeth at tips. Flowers unisexual, monoecious, without perianth; male flowers pale yellow-green, in catkins arranged in racemes at branch tips; stamens numerous, filaments unequal; female flowers in globose heads; calyx teeth 5, subulate; ovary semi-inferior, 2-locular, styles 2, stigmas curved. Fruit heads globose, 2.5-4.5 cm in diameter, surface spiny, capsules with persistent calyx and styles, splitting into 2 valves, each valve shallowly 2-lobed. Seeds numerous, small, flat. Flowering March-April, fruiting September-October.
Habitat and Distribution
It grows in evergreen broad-leaved forests in mountainous areas. It is distributed throughout the regions south of the Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvest after the fruit matures in winter, remove impurities, and dry.
Medicinal Properties
This product is a multiple fruit composed of many small capsules aggregated together, appearing spherical, with a diameter of 2-3 cm. The base has a general fruit stalk. The surface is grayish-brown or brownish-brown, with numerous sharp spines and beak-like small blunt spines, 0.5-1 mm long, often broken; the tops of the small capsules are split open, forming honeycomb-like small pores. The body is light, the texture is hard, and it is not easily broken. The odor is faint, and the taste is bland.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains ursolic acid, 28-noroleanonic acid, styracin, oleanolic acid, caryophyllene oxide,α-Contains components such as elemicin, epoxymyristicin, and liquidambaric lactone.
Pharmacology
Anti-inflammatory; hepatoprotective.
Properties and Channel Entry
Bitter, neutral. Enters the Liver and Kidney channels.
Functions and Indications
Expels Wind and activates collaterals, promotes urination, and unblocks the channels. Used for bi pain in the joints, numbness and spasms, edema and fullness, insufficient lactation, and amenorrhea.
Dosage and Administration
For oral administration: decoct with water, 3-10 g; or calcine until the properties are retained, grind into powder and take. For external use: an appropriate amount, grind into powder and apply; or burn to produce smoke for inhalation.
Precautions and Contraindications
Caution should be exercised in pregnant women.
Prescriptions
1. For tinea: Lulutong (Liquidambar fruit) 10 pieces (burned to preserve the nature), Baipi (white arsenic) 0.15 g. Grind together into powder, mix with sesame oil and apply topically. (Cited in *Outline of Materia Medica Supplement* from *Desheng Tang Prescription*) 2. For urticaria: Lulutong 500 g, decoct into a concentrated liquid. Take 18 g three times daily on an empty stomach. (*Hunan Materia Medica*) 3. For yellow fluid discharge from the ear: Lulutong 15 g, decoct in water and take orally. (*Zhejiang Folk Herbal Medicine*) 4. For allergic rhinitis: Lulutong 12 g, Cangerzi (Xanthium fruit) and Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia root) each 9 g, Xinyi (Magnolia flower bud) and Baizhi (Angelica dahurica root) each 6 g. Decoct in water and take orally. (*Clinical Application of Chinese Herbal Medicine*)
