Pinyin: Shegan
Aliases
Jin Jiao Jian, Jian Dao Cao, Shan Ba Cao, Shan Pu Shan.
Source
Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC., family IridaceaeBelamcanda chinensisDried rhizome of (L.) DC.
Botanical Description
Perennial herb. Rhizome thick, horizontal, bright yellow, irregularly nodular, bearing numerous slender fibrous roots. Stem erect, 50-150 cm tall, solid, with leaves on the lower portion. Leaves alternate, flat, broadly sword-shaped, conduplicate, overlapping in 2 rows, apex acuminate, base clasping the stem, entire margin, green with a white powdery bloom; veins several, parallel. Corymbose compound umbel terminal, dichotomously branched, with several flowers at the branch tips, pedicels and branch bases bearing membranous bracts, bracts lanceolate to narrowly ovate; perianth segments 6, in 2 whorls, outer whorl tepals obovate to oblong-elliptic, inner 3 slightly smaller, obovate to oblong-elliptic, orange-yellow with dark red spots; stamens 3, adnate to the base of the outer tepals, anthers extrorse; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 3-locular, axile placentation, stigma 3-lobed. Capsule obovate to oblong-elliptic, with 3 longitudinal ribs, dehiscing loculicidally at maturity, valves recurved. Seeds numerous, suborbicular, blackish-purple, shiny. Flowering June to August, fruiting July to September.
Habitat and Distribution
It grows on hillsides, grasslands, open fields, and forest edges, and is commonly cultivated. Distributed throughout China.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvested in early spring when the buds first sprout or in late autumn when the stems and leaves wither, remove the fibrous roots and sediment, then dry.
Medicinal Properties
Rhizome irregularly nodular, branched, 3-10 cm long, diameter 1-2 cm. Surface yellowish-brown, dark brown, or blackish-brown, wrinkled and uneven, with distinct nodes and longitudinal striations. Upper part with rounded, disc-shaped depressed stem scars, sometimes with remnants of stem bases; lower part and sides with remnants of fine roots and root scars. Texture hard, fracture surface yellow, granular. Odor: faint; Taste: bitter, slightly acrid.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains tectorigenin, iristectorigenin A, irigenin, belamcandone, mangiferin, belamcandal, belamcanol A, belamcanol B, etc.
Pharmacology
Has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti-allergic, antimicrobial, expectorant, anticoagulant, saliva secretion-promoting, blood pressure-lowering, cholagogic, diuretic, and neurocyte survival and growth-enhancing effects.
Properties and Channel Entry
Bitter, cold. Enters the Lung channel.
Functions and Indications
Clears Heat and resolves toxicity, eliminates Phlegm, and benefits the throat
Dosage and Administration
Dosage and Administration: Oral administration: 5-10 g in decoction; or prepared as pills, powder, or fresh juice. External use: appropriate amount, decocted for washing; or ground into powder for throat insufflation; or mashed for topical application.
Precautions and Contraindications
Contraindicated in patients without excess Heat, those with Spleen deficiency and loose stools, and during pregnancy.
Prescriptions
1. For laryngeal obstruction (acute pharyngitis): *Shegan* (Belamcanda chinensis), finely chopped, 15 g per dose, decoct with one and a half cups of water to eight tenths, strain, add a little honey, take slowly. (From *Shengji Zonglu*, Shegan Decoction) 2. For diphtheria: *Shegan* 3 g, *Shandougen* (Sophora tonkinensis) 3 g, *Jinyinhua* (Lonicera japonica) 15 g, *Gancao* (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) 6 g. Decoct in water and take orally. (From *Qingdao Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual*) 3. For arthritis and traumatic injuries: *Shegan* 90 g, soak in 500 g white liquor for one week, take 15 g each time, twice daily. (From *Anhui Chinese Herbal Medicine*) 4. For constipation and urinary difficulty unresponsive to other medications: Pound fresh *Shegan* root to extract juice, take one cup, and it will immediately relieve the condition. (From *Puji Fang*) 5. For mumps (parotitis): Fresh *Shegan* root 10-15 g, decoct in water, take after meals, twice daily. (From *Fujian Folk Herbal Medicine*)
