ban bian lian

半边莲·Herba Lobeliae Chinensis

Chinese Lobelia

About ban bian lian

Ban Bian Lian (半边莲) is Chinese lobelia, recorded as Herba Lobeliae Chinensis. It is sweet and bland in flavour, slightly cold, and enters the Heart, Lung and Small Intestine channels. The catalogue files it among the herbs that drain Dampness. Its Chinese name reads as half-sided lotus.

Names

Pinyin	ban bian lian
Chinese	半边莲·半遍莲
Latin Name	Herba Lobeliae Chinensis
English Name	Chinese Lobelia
Japanese	hanpenren
Korean	banbyeonryeon

Classification

Category: Drain Dampness
Channels: Lung, Heart, Small Intestine
Flavour: Sweet, Bland
Temperature: Slightly Cold
Family: Campanulaceae
Species: Lobelia Chinensis
Tags: Chinese Herbs, Common

Actions and indications

Promotes urination, reduces edema and regulates the water passages

Edema, especially floating edema
Ascites, including ascites from late-stage schistosomiasis or end-stage liver cirrhosis

Clears Heat, cools the Blood and resolves toxicity (internal and topical)

Snakebite, and stings from wasps, bees, scorpions and centipedes, taken by mouth and applied to the site; the herb of choice for bites and stings
Heat in the Blood
Tonsillitis and other Fire toxin disorders
Sores, ulcers, swellings, eczema, shingles and fungal skin infections from Heat and toxin

Combinations

ze xie + zhu ling
Floating edema
hu lu ba
Edema or ascites
ma bian cao
Edema in late-stage schistosomiasis, by strongly draining pathogenic water
huang qin + huang lian + ye ju hua + jin yin hua
Bites from venomous snakes or insects
ze xie + zhu ling + fu ling
Edema

Dosage

Age	Raw	Granule	Tincture	Concentrate	Frequency
Any 3-15g; Dried: 15-36g; Fresh: 90g; Snakebite, Dried: 30-60g; Snakebite, Fresh: 90-120g; Tincture: 2-4ml	3-15 g	—	2-4 ml	—	—

Cautions

caution Taken as a decoction it can loosen the stools and reduce appetite
contraindication Edema from deficiency: this is a draining herb, and draining further deepens the deficiency
contraindication Blood deficiency
pregnancy Not to be used in pregnancy
lactation No reliable safety data for breastfeeding; seek professional advice
caution Snakebite is an emergency: traditional use must never replace emergency medical care or antivenom
caution Overdose effects are recorded, and the very large historical doses for acute use are not routine; use only under professional supervision

Interactions

Drug interactions

Diuretics (chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, furosemide, bumetanide, torsemide): fluid and electrolyte loss may add up (theoretical; no clinical interaction has been shown)