1. Alias

Liren, Zhihe, Dali, Liren.
2. Plant morphology
Evergreen trees, reaching up to 20 meters in height. The bark is gray green with brown spots; The upper part of the stem has multiple branches, and the small branches have white spots and soft hairs. Even feathered compound leaves alternate, 2-5 pairs; Leafy leaves are leathery, with elongated elliptical to rectangular lanceolate shapes, a pointed tip, a wedge-shaped base, slightly skewed, entire margin, green to dark green on top, glossy, and slightly pale green with white powder on the bottom. Apiform inflorescence, small flowers, heterozygous; The perianth is cup-shaped, light green, four lobed, 2-3 millimeters wide, with shallow wavy edges, densely covered with rust colored soft hairs, and the disk is ring-shaped and fleshy; There are 6-10 stamens, mostly 8, attached to the flower disk, with separated filaments and soft hairs; There is one pistil, with an upper ovary and a short stalk. It grows in the center of the flower disk and has an inverted heart-shaped ovary with 2-3 chambers, each containing one ovule. Usually, only one chamber develops, and the style is linear with two lobes at the top. The fruit is drupe shaped, nearly spherical or ovoid in shape, measuring 3 to 4.5 centimeters in length, with a diameter approximately equal to its length. The skin is thin and nearly leathery, with nodular protrusions on the surface and a dark red color. The seeds are rectangular in shape, brownish red or purple brown in color, glossy, with slight indentations and fine ripples; The seed is covered with false seed coat, white in color, juicy in flesh, sweet in taste, and easy to separate from the nucleus. The flowering period is from February to March, and the fruiting period is from June to July.
3. Origin distribution
Born in barren land or along roadsides, it is widely cultivated in China. Distributed in Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, and eastern Yunnan.
4. Harvesting and processing
Picking mature fruits in summer, removing the skin and false seed coat, washing, and drying in the sun.
5. Characteristics of medicinal herbs
Round or oval in shape, slightly flattened. The surface is brownish red or purple brown, smooth, glossy, with slight depressions and fine ripples. There is a round yellow brown seed navel at one end. Hard in texture, with brownish yellow cotyledons. Slightly fragrant, with a slightly sweet, bitter, and astringent taste.
6. Sexual Taste Returning to the Classics
Warm in nature, sweet in taste, slightly bitter. Return to the liver meridian and kidney meridian.
7. Effect and Function
Promote qi circulation, dispel cold and relieve pain. It belongs to the category of Qi regulating medicine.
8. Clinical application
Dosage: 4.5-9 grams, decoct and take. Used to treat cold hernia, abdominal pain, testicular swelling and pain. L lychee seeds, malleable, suitable for drinking. Treat heartache and small intestinal qi (from "Ben Cao Yan Yi").
9. Pharmacological research
It can lower blood sugar, inhibit hepatitis B antigen, and lower liver glycogen.
10. Chemical composition
Containing fatty acids, amino acids, polymeric anthocyanins, α - methylenecyclopropylglycine, 3-hydroxybutanone, betuline, coumarin, and other components.
11. Usage taboos
Do not take if there is no cold dampness stagnation.
12. Compatibility prescription
① Treating heartache and small intestinal qi: Litchi seeds are burned over low heat and consumed as powder. Mix one piece with new wine and consume as powder. (From "Ben Cao Yan Yi")
② For the treatment of chronic pain in the heart, abdomen, and epigastric region, which frequently occurs (only common in women): 3 grams of lychee seeds and 2.4 grams of wood fragrance. At the end. Take 3 grams per serving, mixed with clear soup. (Lixiang Powder in "Jingyue Quanshu")
③ Treating women's blood and qi pain: 15g lychee seeds (burned), 30g fragrant aconite seeds (dehulled, stir fried). Above is fine powder. Mix 6 grams of salt soup and rice drink, and take them at any time. (Women's Good Prescriptions: Juantong San)
④ Treating women's heartache and spleen pain: Lychee seed ash is the last substance, diluted with vinegar soup. Also used to treat male and child heart pain caused by stroke, under the soup of clam powder. (Pope Francis)
⑤ Cure the body odor: Bake and grind the litchi stone into powder, use proper amount of Baijiu, mix well and wipe the armpit slowly, twice a day. (Fujian Pharmaceutical Journal)
⊙ The content of the article is for clinical reference only. Non TCM professionals are not allowed to test drugs.