Pinyin: Banbianlian
Aliases
Banbianju, Jiandoucao, Ximicao.
Source
Campanulaceae plant *Lobelia chinensis* Lour.Lobelia chinensisDried whole plant of *Wikstroemia indica* (Lour.) C.A. Mey.
Botanical Description
A low perennial herb, up to 10 cm tall. Stems slender, often prostrate and rooting at the nodes, with erect branches, glabrous, exuding white latex when broken. Leaves alternate, sessile or subsessile; leaf blades narrowly lanceolate or linear, 8-25 mm long, apex acute, margin entire or with wavy sparse shallow teeth, glabrous. Flowers bisexual, usually solitary, borne in the upper leaf axils of branches; calyx tube inversely long-conical, base gradually narrowed and not distinctly separated from the pedicel, 3-5 mm long, glabrous, lobes 5, narrowly triangular; corolla pink or white, 10-15 mm long, split to the base on the back, with white pubescence below the throat, lobes 5, all spreading downward in a single plane, the 2 lateral lobes lanceolate and longer, the 3 middle lobes elliptic-lanceolate and shorter; stamens 5, about 8 mm long, upper part of filaments united with anthers; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 2-locular. Capsule inversely conical, about 6 mm long. Seeds elliptic, slightly flattened, nearly flesh-colored. Flowering period May to August, fruiting period August to October.
Habitat and Distribution
Growing by the edges of rice paddies, roadside ditches, and damp, shady slopes of wasteland. Distributed in Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and other regions.
Harvesting and Processing
Harvested in summer, remove soil and sand, wash clean, and sun-dry.
Chemical Constituents
This product contains flavonoid glycosides, succinic acid, L-lobeline, and other components.
Pharmacology
Has significant diuretic effects. It has a stimulatory followed by inhibitory effect on autonomic ganglia, adrenal medulla, various medullary centers (especially the vomiting center), neuromuscular junctions, and the chemoreceptors of the carotid body. It promotes respiratory excitation. It has a stimulating effect on isolated rabbit heart and frog heart, increasing contractile force and amplitude; at high concentrations, it shows transient excitation, followed by inhibition, and eventually conduction block and arrest. It has cholagogic effects. It has anti-snake venom effects. It has emetic effects, and oral administration has mild laxative effects.
Properties and Channel Entry
Acrid, neutral. Enters the Heart, Small Intestine, and Lung channels.
Functions and Indications
Clears Heat and resolves toxicity, promotes urination and reduces swelling
Dosage and Administration
Oral administration: decoction, 15-30 g, or mashed to extract juice. External use: apply appropriate amount of mashed herb as a poultice, or mix the extracted juice for topical application.
Precautions and Contraindications
Contraindicated in edema due to deficiency patterns.
Prescriptions
1. For lacquer poisoning (urushiol-induced dermatitis): apply the juice of pounded fresh whole plant of *Lobelia chinensis* topically. (Hunan Materia Medica) 2. For jaundice, edema, and dysuria: *Lobelia chinensis* 30 g, *Imperata cylindrica* (Mao Gen) 30 g. Decoct in water, divide into two doses, and take with white sugar. (Jiangxi Folk Herbal Prescriptions) 3. For vomiting and diarrhea: *Lobelia chinensis* 15 g, *Salix babylonica* (Shui Yang Liu) 12 g, *Plantago asiatica* (Che Qian Cao) 30 g, *Raphanus sativus* (Luo Bo) 12 g. Pound the ingredients, steep in boiling water, and take orally. (Hunan Materia Medica) 4. For migraine: *Lobelia chinensis*, *Duchesnea indica* (Wu Zhua Feng), and *Viola inconspicua* (Li Tou Cao), 9 g each. Decoct in water, mix with wine, and take orally. (Hunan Materia Medica) 5. For whooping cough: *Lobelia chinensis* 30 g, decoct in water, and cook one pig lung in the decoction; drink the soup and eat the lung. (Zhejiang Common Folk Herbal Medicine)
