Lian Qiao (Fructus Forsythiae) is from the fruit of Forsythia Suspensa Vahl., family Oleaceae. The fruits are collected in the autumn at the early of ripening and is known as Qingqiao. This is considered to be the best quality, and should be of a greenish colour. Fruit collected at full ripeness is called huangqiao and is more yellow in colour. It is used in an unprocessed form.

Category: Heat Clearing – Relieves toxicity.

Common Name: Forsythia Fruit.

Channels Entered: Lung, Heart and Gallbladder.

Properties and Functions: Lian Qiao is bitter in flavour and slightly cold in nature. Its functions include:

• Clearing Heat and relieving toxicity.
• Dispersing lumps, reducing carbuncles, abscesses and stagnation.
• Clearing Wind and Heat.

Indications: In clinical practice it is used for:

• Seasonal febrile disease and exterior syndrome of Wind-Heat type.
• Clearing Heat and toxins to disperse stagnation casuing carbuncles, scrofula and subcutaneous swelling or nodules.

Dosage: 6 – 15g

Cautions and Contra-Indications: It is not suitable for use in cases with deficiency, cold of the Spleen and Stomach and Qi deficiency with thin pus.