Blackberry lily is good at clearing away the lung heat

What is blackberry lily(She Gan)?
When used as medicine, it mainly refers to the dried rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC, which is a species in the Iris family (Iridaceae). Being the only member in the genus Belamcanda, it was recategorized into the genus Iris and assigned a new name as Iris domestica in year 2005 because of the molecular DNA sequence evidence. For that reason, this ornamental plant obtains many synonyms, such as Pardanthus chinensis (L.) Ker Gawl.), Iris chinensis Curtis, Morea chinensis, Ixia chinensis L., Gemmingia chinensis (L.) Kuntze, and Belamcanda punctata Moench. And other common names also include Belamcanda Rhizome, Rhizoma Belamcandae, leopard flower, Shegan, Freckle Face, and so on. In China it is principally produced in Hubei, Henan, Jiangsu, and Anhui. Blackberry lily bulbs are normally dug up in early spring when new sprout just comes out or in late autumn when the stem and leaves die away. And the one collected in autumn is believed with better healing properties. After the harvest, the following steps are to remove the stems, fibrous roots and dirt, wash with water, dry in the sun, and slice. Clinically it is normally used raw.

Blackberry lily health benefits
This is not only a wild ornamental plant, but also a medicinal plant with extensive medicinal uses. It is a commonly used drug for curing sore throat since is it clears heat, removes toxicity, reduces swelling, and relieve sore throat and cough. But as far as sore throat concerned, Sophora Subprostrata (Shan Dou Gen) has a better healing power. That is the reason why subprostrate is preferred in severe cases of a sore throat. Although belamcanda rhizome has a milder property on reducing the swelling, it has an expertise on eliminating phlegm. That’s to say, if the sore throat is accompanied with heavy heat-phlegm syndrome or accumulation of heat-phlegm, it is the perfect option since it can not only clear the throat by remove phlegm but also bring relief to the painful red swollen throat. What’s more, it is good at clearing away the lung-heat and making expectoration easy. No wonder it is frequently used to treat coughs with abundance of phlegm, regardless of cold and heat nature.

Modern pharmacological actions of belamcanda chinensis rhizome
1) It strongly inhibits common pathogenic fungi;
2) It also inhibits some viruses, such as adenovirus and ECHO11 in cold and throat disorders;
3) It has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic effects;
4) It has a significant diuretic effect.