Camelliae Pitardii Flos
Aliases：Xinan Hongshancha, Shanchahua, Chahua, Hongshanchahua, and Silengbiao. (These are alternative names for Xinan Shancha, i.e., Southwest Camellia.)
Xinan Shancha (Southwest Camellia) is a traditional Chinese medicinal material. It is the flower of Camellia pitardii Coh.-St., a plant belonging to the genus Camellia of the family Theaceae. Camellia pitardii is also known as Southwest Camellia. It is a shrub or small tree, up to 7 m tall, with glabrous young branches. The leaves are leathery, lanceolate or oblong, 8–12 cm long and 2.5–4 cm wide, with an acuminate or long-caudate apex and a cuneate base. The upper surface is bright green when dry, and the lower surface is yellow-green, both glabrous, with 6–7 pairs of lateral veins and sharply serrate margins. The flowers are terminal, red, sessile, with 5–6 petals, and 5–8 cm in diameter. The capsule is oblate-globose, 3-locular, dehiscing into 3 valves. The flowering period is from February to May. It grows in mountain valleys, beside water, and under sparse forests at altitudes of 1,000–2,800 m. It is recorded in Zhonghua Bencao (Chinese Materia Medica) and Diannan Bencao.
Efficacy & Actions
Detoxifies and relieves inflammation, astringes to stop dysentery, invigorates blood circulation and stops bleeding, and regulates menstruation.
Indications
Dysentery, hematochezia due to intestinal wind, acute gastroenteritis, irregular menstruation, epistaxis, hematemesis, rheumatic arthralgia, arthritis, rectal prolapse, burns and scalds. It is also used for menorrhagia, leukorrhea, and spermatorrhea.
Modern Pharmacology
Anti‑allergic effects: The seeds, fruit peels, and flowers of Southwest Camellia exhibit anti‑IgE‑mediated type I allergic effects. Hepatotoxicity: At considerable doses, Southwest Camellia can cause obvious damage to the liver. Antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory potential: Southwest Camellia is rich in active components such as total polyphenols and total flavonoids. Flavonoids are natural antioxidants widely distributed in plants, with strong free radical‑scavenging capacity.
Ingredients
Compounds from the fruit peel: Seven compounds have been isolated and identified from the ethyl acetate extract of the fruit peel, namely kaempferol, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, oleanolic acid, daucosterol, β‑sitosterol, and lupeol. Content of active components: Determined by UV spectrophotometry, the ethanol extract of Southwest Camellia flowers contains 12.15% total saponins, 32.4% total polyphenols, and 3.27% total flavonoids. The ethanol extract of flower buds contains 40.42% total saponins, 22.52% total polyphenols, and 18.34% total flavonoids. Compounds from the seeds: Seven compounds have been isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the seeds, including kaempferol‑3‑O‑β‑D‑glucoside, etc.
Usage & Dosage
For oral administration: Flowers or roots: 15–30 g, decocted in water. Leaves: 3 g, ground into powder and taken with warm wine. Ground into powder and taken with boiled water: 6 g each time. For topical application: appropriate amount, ground into powder and applied as a dressing or sprinkled dry.
Contraindications
Avoid sour and cold foods. As recorded in Yunnan Zhongcaoyao (Yunnan Chinese Herbal Medicine): "Avoid sour and cold foods." Hepatotoxicity: At considerable doses, Southwest Camellia can cause obvious damage to the liver; dosage should be strictly controlled.
Selected Formulas
For menorrhagia, epistaxis, hematemesis, intestinal wind with bloody stools, and rheumatism (Yunnan Chinese Herbal Medicine) Take 15g of Southwest Camellia (Xinan Hongshan Cha), decoct in water and drink; or grind into powder and take 6g each time with boiled water. For leukorrhea, spermatorrhea, and menstrual irregularities (Yunnan Chinese Herbal Medicine) Take 9-15g of Southwest Camellia flower, with brown sugar as a guide, decoct in water and drink. For acute gastroenteritis, dysentery, and rectal prolapse (Yunnan Chinese Herbal Medicine) Take 15-30g of Southwest Camellia flower or root, decoct in water and drink. For arthritis (Yunnan Chinese Herbal Medicine) Take 3g of Southwest Camellia root or leaf, grind into powder, and take with warm wine. For burns and scalds (Yunnan Chinese Herbal Medicine) Take an appropriate amount of Southwest Camellia flower, grind into powder, and sprinkle over the affected area.
Medicinal Parts
Flower.
Selection & Storage
置于阴凉干燥处，防潮、防蛀。
