Lian Zi - 蓮子 - Semen Nelumbinis - Lotus Seed

Pharmaceutical Latin:	Semen Nelumbinis
Common English:	Lotus Seed Nelumbo

Category

Herbs that Stabilize and Bind (Astringents)

Properties

Taste	Temperature	Entering Meridians	Dosage
Sweet Astringent	Neutral	Heart Kidney Spleen	6-18g Tincture: 2-4ml 6-15g (Secondary source)

Actions And Indications

Actions	Indications/Syndromes
Tonifies the Spleen and astringes diarrhea	Spleen Deficiency with chronic diarrhea and loss of appetite
Tonifies the Kidneys and astringes Jing	Premature ejaculation and spermatorrhea due to unstable Deficient Kidneys Excessive uterine bleeding and vaginal discharge
Nourishes the Heart and calms the Spirit	Palpitations with anxiety and irritability associated with Deficiency and insomnia Especially useful for Lack of Communication Between the Heart and Kidneys (Heart and Kidney Yin Deficiency)

Contraindications, Incompatibilities And Herb/Drug Interactions

Major Combinations

Rx. Dioscoreae Shan Yao Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu (Rx. Ginseng) (Ren Shen)	Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Bai Zhu Poria Fu Ling Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen	Sm. Astragali Complanati Sha Yuan Zi Sm. Euryales Qian Shi
Chronic diarrhea due to Spleen Deficiency.	Spleen Deficient diarrhea with a poor appetite.	Chronic impotence and spermatorrhea.
Sm. Astragali Complanati Sha Yuan Zi Sm. Euryales Qian Shi Fr. Rosae Laevigatae Jin Ying Zi Sm. Ginkgo Bai Guo Or Sm. Astragali Complanati Sha Yuan Zi Sm. Euryales Qian Shi Flos Celosiae Ji Guan Hua Sm. Ginkgo Bai Guo	Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum Lu Rong Sm. Astragali Complanati Sha Yuan Zi Sm. Cuscutae Tu Si Zi (Stamen Nelumbinis) (Lian Xu)	Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren Rx. Polygalae Yuan Zhi
Chronic vaginal discharge.	Spermatorrhea or impotence from Kidney Yang Deficiency.	Irritability, palpitations and insomnia from Lack of Communication between the Heart and Kidneys.
Bul. Lilii Bai He Sm. Coicis Yi Yi Ren Rx. Adenophorae/Glehniae Sha Shen	Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian Rx. Codonopsis Dang Shen	Sm. Euryales Qian Shi
Mild insomnia, palpitations, irritability, and nocturnal emissions accompanied by thirst and dark, scanty urine due to excessive Heart Fire.	Insomnia, irritability, palpitations, nocturnal emissions and thirst due to Lack of Communication between the Heart and Kidneys. Chronic dysenteric disorders accompanied by loss of appetite.	Reestablishes communication between the Heart and Kidneys. Treats nocturnal emissions, premature ejaculation or urinary incontinence due to the failure of the Kidney's storage functions. Inhibits chronic diarrhea or dysentery, watery and thin vaginal discharge and turbid, painful urinary dysfunction due to Spleen Deficiency or Spleen and Kidney Deficiency.
Rz. Acori Tatarinowii Shi Chang Pu Rz. Coptidis Huang Lian	Rx. Ophiopogonis Mai Men Dong Sm. Platycladi Bai Zi Ren Poria Pararadicis Fu Shen Rx. Polygalae Yuan Zhi Concha Margaritaferae Zhen Zhu Mu Sm. Zizyphi Spinosae Suan Zao Ren
With Stone Lotus Seed Shi Lian Zi for vomiting and dysenteric diarrhea with inability to eat or drink and painful urinary dysfunction.	Irritability, anxiety and dream-disturbed sleep or insomnia.

Notes

1. Since it astringes and tonifies at once, this herb is very helpful for diarrhea from Spleen Deficiency.
2. Its main use is for Deficiency states involving excessive loss of fluids.
3. Taken over a long period, it lightens the body, slows aging, eases hunger and prolongs life.
4. It strengthens the tendons and bones, sharpens hearing and vision, expels Cold-Dampness, and stops Spleen diarrhea, red and white turbid urine, and all vaginal discharge and bleeding disorders in women.
5. The Heart of the Lotus Seed cools both Heart Fire and Kidney Fire.
6. Used alone, the Lotus Seed Heart Lian Zi Xin treats fever with thirst, palpitations, insomnia and high blood pressure. Its dosage is 1.5-3g.
7. Lian Zi and Sm. Euryales Qian Shi are both seeds that tonify and bind, and both are sweet, neutral and astringent. Each enters the Spleen and Kidneys to tonify them and treats chronic diarrhea and spermatorrhea. Qian Shi additionally eliminates Dampness and is better for Deficiency disorders where Dampness predominates, such as vaginal discharge. Lian Zi nourishes the Heart, restores communication between the Heart and Kidneys and treats incessant uterine bleeding.
8. Lian Zi and Rz. Dioscoreae Shan Yao are both sweet, neutral and astringent; they enter and strengthen the Spleen and Kidneys and astringe the Intestines and the Lower Jiao. They are frequently combined for diarrhea from Spleen or Kidney Deficiency that leads to spermatorrhea, enuresis or vaginal discharge. Shan Yao enters the Lung channel to tonify Lung Yin, stopping coughs from Deficiency consumption. It is mainly a tonic, augmenting both the Qi and the Yin of the Lungs, Spleen and Kidneys. Lian Zi also nourishes the Heart, calms the Spirit and stops bleeding, and it is often used to restore communication between the Heart and Kidneys when its loss has produced palpitations, insomnia, spermatorrhea, deficient irritability, wasting and thirsting disorder, and bleeding disorders such as hematuria or incessant uterine bleeding.
9. Fresh Lotus Flesh Xian Lian Rou has a pure fragrance and a strong Qi with a pronounced cooling quality, and it treats internal pathogenic Heat that disturbs the harmony of the Stomach Qi.
10. Dry-fried Lotus Flesh Chao Lian Rou is slightly warm and better at augmenting the Spleen and harmonizing the Stomach.
11. Stone Lotus Seed Shi Lian Zi is bitter and cold; it eliminates Damp-Heat, clears the Heart and unbinds the Stomach. It is used for Heat toxin with vomiting, dysenteric diarrhea with inability to eat or drink, and painful urinary dysfunction.
12. Covered Stone Lotus Qian Shi Lian has a stronger action in astringing the Intestines and stopping diarrhea, and it is used for uncontrollable long-term diarrhea and chronic dysenteric disorders. For chronic, incessant diarrhea it is given as a single herb, powdered and washed down with a soup made from aged rice.
13. Stone Lotus Flesh Shi Lian Rou is used for sudden illnesses involving an excessive buildup of newly contracted pathogenic Heat. As a single herb, it is given for vomiting and diarrhea with inability to eat or drink.
14. Caulis Nelumbinis He Geng is bitter and neutral, regulates the Qi of the chest and is most effective for a sense of chest congestion caused by Dampness in summer.
15. Calyx Nelumbinis He Di is bitter and sweet; it clears Summerheat, harmonizes the Middle Jiao, calms a restless fetus and treats diarrhea and dysentery with Blood and mucus.
16. Receptaculum Nelumbinis Lian Fang is bitter, astringent and warm; it enters the Blood level, disperses Blood Stagnation and stops bleeding, treating uterine bleeding, hematuria and hemafecia. It is also used for hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse and eczema.
17. Nodus Nelumbinis Rhizomatis Ou Jie is sweet, astringent and neutral, and it disperses Blood Stagnation.