Black Ginseng-leaved Lysionotus: Benefits, Differences from Eucommia, and How to Take It for Best Results

Lysionotus, also known as black ginseng-leaved herb, stone cowpea, stone eupatorium, etc., is the whole plant of Lysionotus pauciflorus, a plant of the genus Lysionotus in the family Gesneriaceae. As a medicinal herb, it has the benefits of dispelling wind and dampness, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, and eliminating phlegm and unblocking meridians. It treats wind-dampness arthralgia, cough with copious phlegm, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, traumatic injuries, and other conditions. So what are the benefits and effects of Lysionotus? What is the difference between it and Eucommia? How should it be taken for best results?

I. What are the benefits and effects of Lysionotus?

It clears the lungs and dissolves phlegm, cools the blood and stops bleeding, dispels dampness and resolves stagnation, and unblocks meridians and relieves pain. It treats lung-heat cough, blood ejection, flooding and leukorrhea, bacillary dysentery, infantile malnutrition, wind-dampness arthralgia, and traumatic injuries. Lysionotus can unblock meridians, which is beneficial for relieving pain and alleviating rheumatic diseases. It is also a good choice for traumatic injuries, and it has the effect of removing dampness, which is beneficial for clearing heat and moistening dryness.

(1) "Illustrated Investigation of Plant Names and Realities": "Unblocks the joints, treats traumatic injuries and alcohol-related illness."

(2) "Common Formulas for Plants and Trees": "Dissolves phlegm, expels toxin, aids digestion, and nourishes yin blood. Treats wind-dampness swelling, dizziness and blurred vision, and various deficiencies."

(3) "Classified Properties of Herbal Medicines": "Treats blood ejection, waist and knee pain, dispels wind and dampness, and traumatic injuries."

(4) "Compilation of Common Folk Herbal Medicines": "Clears the lungs and relieves cough, cools the blood and stops bleeding."

(5) "Illustrated Records of Medicinal Plants of Wulong, Sichuan": "Treats women's blood-qi disorders."

(6) "Records of Sichuan Materia Medica": "Treats women's flooding and leukorrhea, wind-dampness arthralgia, infantile malnutrition, and internal injury with asthma and cough."

(7) "Wenshan Chinese Herbal Medicine": "Clears heat and dries dampness, reduces swelling and relieves pain. Treats bacillary dysentery, rheumatic pain, and purulent skin infections. Lysionotus can remove dampness and has a regulating effect on dysentery and rheumatic diseases.

II. What is the difference between Lysionotus and Eucommia?

Lysionotus, also called stone cowpea, is a type of Chinese herbal medicine. The whole plant of Lysionotus can be used medicinally, and it can be harvested in all four seasons. Lysionotus grows in Jiangxi, Hunan, southwestern Zhejiang, and other places in China. The stems of Lysionotus vary in length, and the surface appears grayish-brown or yellow. It has no particular odor, but its taste is very bitter and astringent. It has the effect of dispelling wind-dampness from the body. People with cough can decoct Lysionotus in water and drink it, which can resolve phlegm and relieve cough. It also has a good improving effect on women's irregular menstruation and dysmenorrhea. Lysionotus has many therapeutic effects on women's blood-qi disorders or flooding and leukorrhea, on elderly people's rheumatic bone pain, and on children's internal injury cough. When this herbal medicine is decocted in water and taken with alcohol, it can treat traumatic injuries, and it can also be applied externally to the injured area with very obvious effects. The only contraindication for taking Lysionotus is that pregnant women must not take it.

Eucommia is also called gutta-percha by many people. The dried bark of Eucommia is generally used medicinally, and it is a precious tonic Chinese herbal medicine in China. Eucommia has the effect of tonifying the liver and kidneys. Middle-aged and elderly people can lower blood pressure by taking Eucommia, and pregnant women can stabilize the fetus by taking it. Many patients with high blood pressure favor Eucommia because its blood-pressure-lowering effect is very obvious. People with kidney deficiency or yin deficiency with fire hyperactivity need to take it with caution. Eucommia can help the human body clear residual waste, strengthen the metabolism of human cells, break down cholesterol in blood vessels, prevent vascular hardening, restore vascular elasticity, and has a significant effect on enhancing the body's immune resistance.

III. How should Lysionotus be taken for best results?

1. Take 9 grams of Lysionotus and 9 grams of Eucommia, and decoct them together in clear water for oral administration. It can treat hand and foot pain and waist pain.

2. Take 15 grams of Lysionotus, 6 grams of Radix Peucedani, and 3 slices of ginger, and decoct them together in clear water for oral administration. It can treat colds and coughs caused by exposure to wind and cold.

3. Take 15 grams of Lysionotus, 15 grams of Herba Pterocypselae, and 15 grams of Bergenia purpurascens, and decoct them together in clear water for oral administration. It can treat prolonged accumulation of old lung disease that does not improve for a long time, coughing with phlegm, damage to yin and depletion of fluids; or liver dysfunction, emotional stimulation causing qi stagnation transforming into fire, and liver fire invading the lungs; or improper diet, addiction to tobacco and alcohol, internally generated fire heat, and phlegm-heat congesting the lungs; or attack by wind-cold-dryness-heat; or fever caused by wind-cold, leading to failure of the lungs to diffuse and descend, producing coughing sounds or accompanied by coughing with phlegm.

4. Take 30 grams of Lysionotus, 15 grams of Trichosanthes root, 15 grams of wild cowpea root, and 9 grams of Paris polyphylla, and decoct all of the above together with rice-washing water for oral administration. It can treat purulent lung infection caused by bacteria.

5. Decoct 15 grams of Lysionotus in clear water, remove it and crush it, then apply it together with alcohol to the affected area. It can treat sports injuries, abrasions, puncture wounds, sprains, beatings, falls, knife and gun wounds, etc.