Bian Dou Hua
Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet
☯ TCM Properties
Clears Summer-Heat and Resolves Dampness; Strengthens the Spleen and Harmonizes the Middle; Stops Dysentery; Astringes to Stop Vaginal Discharge
Western Herbalism Properties
Botanical Description
Lablab purpureus is a vigorous twining herbaceous perennial vine in the Fabaceae family widely cultivated across the tropics and subtropics as a pulse, vegetable, and ornamental, and treated as an annual in temperate climates. The climbing stems reach 3-6 m, often tinged purple, and bear large trifoliolate leaves with broadly ovate-rhombic leaflets 6-15 cm long. Showy axillary racemes 15-40 cm long display fragrant pea-like flowers in white, lilac, or deep purple, each about 1.5 cm long with an upright standard, lateral wings, and a sharply incurved keel. The fruit is a flat, glossy, sickle-shaped purplish or green pod 4-12 cm long tipped with a persistent style, containing 2-5 oval seeds with a conspicuous white linear hilum. Bian Dou Hua refers specifically to the dried open flowers, collected during the flowering season before fading.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | 6-15g | Daily | — | — | — |
Cultural & Historical Context
Traditional Chinese Uses
Bian Dou Hua (hyacinth bean flower) is a neutral, sweet herb used in Chinese medicine to resolve Summerheat, clear Dampness, and harmonize the Stomach. It is used for Summerheat-Damp patterns with nausea, diarrhea, and digestive discomfort during hot, humid weather, as well as for Damp-Heat dysentery and leukorrhea. As the flower of the white hyacinth bean (Bai Bian Dou), it shares similar Spleen-supporting and Dampness-clearing properties but in a lighter, more easily-dispersing form suited to the upper digestive tract.
Traditional American Uses
None Documented
Important Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.