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Ling Xiao Hua凌宵花

Campsis Flos · Trumpet Creeper Flower · Chinese Trumpet Vine Flower

Herbs that Invigorate the Blood 活血化瘀药Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing 《神农本草经》(recorded as 紫葳)

Overview

The dried flower of the Chinese trumpet creeper, entered in the earliest materia medica under the name Zi Wei and now usually written. Sweet, sour and cold, it holds together two things that rarely sit side by side: it breaks blood stasis to restore blocked menstruation, and it cools the blood and dispels wind for hot, itching skin. It is a light flower used in small amounts, and its blood-breaking action is strong enough that pregnancy is a firm exclusion.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet, sour · Cold

Channels

Liver · Pericardium

Typical Dosage

3–9 g in decoction
凌宵花Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

2 core actions

  • Invigorates blood, unblocks menstruationAmenorrhoea, stasis-type period pain and abdominal masses; retained lochia and pain after childbirth.
  • Cools the blood, dispels windItching rashes, hives, blotchy red skin and acne where blood heat drives the presentation.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Ling Xiao Hua

No published formula lists this herb yet — the library is growing.

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Blocked or scanty menstruation and stasis-type period pain
    - Abdominal masses and postpartum stasis pain
    - Itching rashes, hives and red inflamed skin

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

AmenorrheaDysmenorrheaUrticariaEczemaAcne

Contraindications

Cautions

This herb breaks blood rather than simply moving it: it is unsuitable in qi and blood deficiency without stasis, and it is used cautiously in anyone with a bleeding tendency or taking blood-thinning medication — tell the prescriber before starting it. The pollen of the fresh flowers can irritate the eyes and skin of the people handling them.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: Contraindicated in pregnancy — it breaks blood stasis and has long been used to bring on menstruation

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.