Wiseman’s Chinese Medical Database

bàn zhī lián / 半枝莲 / 半枝蓮 / bearded scutellaria;

Latin pharmacognostic name: Scutellariae Barbatae Herba

Alternate English names: bearded skullcap

Alternate Chinese names:

Origin: Plant

Use: medicinal

Category: Heat-clearing agents / Heat-clearing toxin-resolving agents

Properties: Acrid, slightly bitter; cool.

Channel entry: liver, lung, stomach, and kidney channels.

Indications:

• Clears heat and resolves toxin: Toxin and swelling of welling-abscesses and sores; snake bites.
• Disinhibits water and disperses swelling: Water swelling with inhibited urination.
• Modern applications: Bàn zhī lián is often used with bái huā shé shé cǎo (白花蛇舌草 Oldenlandiae Herba, oldenlandia;) to treat a variety of cancers, including lung cancer and esophageal cancer.

Dosage & Method:

Oral: 10–30g in decoctions. Double the dose if using the fresh form.

Product Area:

Jiāngsū, Guǎngxī, Guǎngdōng, Sìchuān, Héběi, Shānxī, Shǎnxī (Shaanxi), Húběi, ānhuī, Jiāngxī, Zhèjiāng, Fújiàn, Guìzhōu, Yúnnán, Táiwān, and Hénán.