Lianqiao, also known as Yiqiao or Lanhua, is the fruit of the plant Lonicera japonica in the family Caprifoliaceae. Lianqiao has a cool property and a bitter taste. It enters the Heart, Liver, and Gallbladder meridians and has the functions of clearing heat, detoxifying, dispersing nodules, and reducing swelling. It is used to treat conditions such as fever, erysipelas, freckles, abscesses, swollen sores, scrofula, and difficulty urinating. It is a commonly used herb for clearing heat and detoxifying. There are cases in the market where the plant Qinlianqiao, which belongs to the same family, is falsely sold as genuine Lianqiao. Care should be taken to distinguish between the two when using.
Genuine Lianqiao
The dried fruit is oblong in shape, measuring 1.5 to 2 centimeters long and 0.6 to 1 centimeter in diameter. The surface has irregular longitudinal wrinkles and numerous raised small spots. There is a distinct longitudinal groove on each side, with a sharp pointed tip and a small fruit stalk or a stalk that has fallen off at the base. Qingqiao does not crack easily. The surface is greenish-brown with fewer raised gray-white spots. The seeds are mostly slender and yellow-green, with a wing on one side. Laoqiao cracks from the top or splits into two lobes. The surface is yellowish-brown or reddish-brown, and the inner surface is mostly light yellowish-brown, smooth, with a longitudinal septum. The texture is brittle, and the seeds are brown and mostly fallen off. It has a slight fragrance when smelled and a bitter taste when tasted.
False Qinlianqiao
It has an elongated oval shape, measuring 0.5 to 1.8 centimeters long and 0.3 to 1 centimeter in diameter. The tip is sharp, and there are often cracks. The base is mostly connected. The surface is light brown and relatively smooth. The raised small spots are not obvious. One lobe slightly bends toward the side, and the other lobe slightly bends outward, resembling a chicken beak. There are two seeds inside, light brown, and slightly elongated oval in shape with curled edges. There are 3 to 5 distinct longitudinal ridges on one side. Most of the seeds have fallen off. It has a slight fragrance when smelled and a bitter taste when tasted. Although it belongs to the same family as genuine Lianqiao, it does not possess the various medicinal properties of genuine Lianqiao and has not been reported for medicinal use. Therefore, it should not be used as genuine Lianqiao.
