Bulbus Lilii Brownii and Lily family...

  seminal trace...Bulbus Lilii Brownii.Lily Bulb.5:1;10:1Extract...

   Botanical Data of Lily Bulb:

 Lily Bulb
 (Bulbus Lilii)
 Chinese Name: Bai He
 Medical Name: Bulbus Lilii
 Latin Name: Liliium brownii
 Family: Liliaceae
 Common Names:Lily Bulb,Bulbus Lilii Brownii, L. Pumilum, L. Lancifolium
 Origin: Rhizome Stem of Lilium brownii F. E. Brown var . viridulum Baker
 Taste: Sweet, slightly bitter
 Energy and Flavor: sweet, bland and slightly cold
 Organ Meridian Affected: Heart and Lung

 

 Botanical Data of Lily Bulb:
 What it is:Botanical Description
 Phytochemicals and Constituents:
 Property and Suggestions:
 Common Uses and Applications:
 Quotes from Chinese historical sources:
 Modern Research:
 Lily family:
 Research Update:lilium brownii


   What it is:Botanical Description:
 

 This herb is thepulpy bulb of Lilium brownii F.E.Brown vat.viridulum Baker orLilium pumilum D.C.(family Liliaceae).It is washed clean after being dug out in autumn, slightly sca-lded in boiling water, dried in the sun, and used unprepared or stir- baked with honey.
 Elongated elliptical, 2~5cm long, 1~2cm wide, 3~4mm thick at middle. Externally whitish, pale brownish-yellow or purplish, with several longitudinal and paralled white vascular bundles. Apex somewhat acute, base relatively broad, margins thin, undulate, slightly curved inwards. Texture hard and fragile, fracture relatively even, horny. Odorless; taste, slightly bitter.
 Grow at forest side,cultivation widely at Hunan,Zhejiang,ShaanXi,Sichuan,Anhui province of China.
 Collection:Dig out at late autumn,take off squama,then dry.


   Phytochemicals and Constituents:

 Phytochemicals Include: protein,fat,and glucosides.

 

   Property and Suggestions:

  Properties: yin tonic, demulcent, sedative, expectorant, demulcent, antitussive,Sweet in flavour, slightly cold inproperty, acting onthe lung and heart channels.

  Indications: Lily bulb is used for dry cough and heat in the Lung due to yin deficiency. It nourishes the Heart and calms the spirit for Heart yin and qi deficiency with such symptoms as restlessness, insomnia and chronic low grade fever. Deficiency of yin with chronic cough and bloody sputum; fidgetiness, palpitation, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep and absent-mindedness.

  Contraindications: This herb should not be used by those with wind cold conditions such as the common cold when there is phlegm nor should it be used when there is Spleen deficiency with diarrhea.

  Effects: Nourish-ing the lung to arrest cough and clearing away heart-fire to tranquilize the mind.

  Actions: To nourish yin and moisten the lung, and to tranquilize the mind.

  Dosage andadministration: 10-30g, decocted inwater for an oraldose. For clearingaway heart fire, itshould be used un-prepared, and for nourishing the lung, stir-baked with honey.

  Precautions: Lily bulb should not be prescribed for patients with cough due to pathogenic wind-cold or loose stool due to endoge-nous cold in the middle-jiao.


   Common Uses and Applications:
 

  1. For treatingcough due to dryness of the lung and phth-isical cough with he-moptysis: it is often used with dried re-hmannia root, scr-ophularia root and fritillary bulb, as in Lily Decoction forStrengthening theLung (Baihe GujinTang).

  2. For the laterstage of febrilediseases with linger-ing fever, fidgeti-ness due to defici-ency, fright-induced palpitation, vague mind, insomnia anddreaminess: it isoften used with an-emarrhena rhizome or dried rehmannia root, as in Decoction of Lily and Anemarrhena(Baihe Zhimu Tang)and Decoction of Lily and Rehmannia (Baihe Dihuang Tang).

  3. Moistening the lung to relieve cough: In treaing cough with bloody sputum due to dryness of the lung, the herb can be made into soft extract with Flos Farfarae, of used in combination with Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Ophiopogonis, Bulbus Fritillariae Cirrhosae, Radix Scrophulariae, etc.

  4. Clearing away heat from the heart to calm the mind: In treating restlessness of deficiency type, palpitation, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleep, etc. at the late stage of febrile disease when heat is not completely cleared away, the herb is often used in combination with Rhizoma Anemarrhenae or Radix Rehmanniae.


   Quotes from Chinese historical sources:

 THE HERBAL CLASSIC OF SHEN NONG: "Treats abdominal distension caused by pathogenic factors, cardiac pain, laxative and diuretic, nourishes the internal organs and benefits vitality."
 RI HUAZI MATERIA MEDICA: "Calms the mind, boosts the courage, promotes even temperament, and maintains the five internal organs."
 SUPPLEMENT TO THE COMPENDIUM OF MATERIA MEDICA: "Clears phlegm due to toxic heat, and nourishes the vitality when it has become weak and damaged."

 

   Modern Research:

 Isolation of lilin, a novel arginine- and glutamate-rich protein with potent antifungal and mitogenic activities from lily bulbs.
 From the dried bulbs of the lily (Lilium brownii), a protein with strong antifungal and mitogenic activities was isolated. It also exhibited an inhibitory action on the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.


   Lily family:

 The family Liliaceae includes tulips, fritillaria and erythronium (Dog's Tooth violets) as well as lilium, or lilies. Although we have thousands of hybrids developed for flower colour, form and hardiness, there are some 100 plus lily species. Many are not grown or widely available.
 All lilies have an underground fleshy bulb with overlapping scales and a basal plate. Lily bulbs differ from tulips and narcissi in that they have no outer papery layer, and thus they are more prone to drying out than many bulbs. The stems are long with leaves carried in spirals or whorls. Each stem carries one to many flowers with up to six petals in a terminal spray. The flowers can be nodding and petals recurved, upright or erect. Most lilies are summer flowering.
 Lilies are classified into Longiflorums or trumpets (L. longiflorum, L. regale and others); Asiatics with bowl-shaped, normally upward facing flowers; Martagons or turkscaps with reflexed petals; Orientals (L. auratum, L. speciosum and hybrids); Orienpets and other hybrids are crosses between Orientals and Chinese trumpets (e.g. 'Silk Road' have huge flowers); and species of which L. regale, L. candidum (the Madonna lily), L. lancifolium (the Tiger Lily), L. martagon and L. auratum var platphyllum are commonly grown.
 Lily bulbs are relatively expensive but they will provide many years of pleasure and propagation is easy once you know how. Put simply, lilies need sharp drainage, a neutral fertile soil, shelter from strong winds and to be planted with their heads in the sunshine and roots in cool shade.
 Rotting is a common cause of failure. The bulbs cannot survive sodden soils and will simply disappear. If you have very heavy soil and bulbs fail to reappear the following season you can either lift them and store in damp sawdust in a cool corner of the garden shed, or you can treat the bulbs as annuals and replant every season. That way you need no excuses to try new varieties!


  Scientific References:

  1.Bulbus Lilii Brownii and Lily family...