Witnessed by: TCM
Lychee (Litchi chinensis), of the Sapindaceae family. Evergreen fruit tree; native range: southern China, cultivated across the subtropics. Globally recognized as li zhi he (荔枝核) in Chinese, and lychee seed, litchi pit in English. The part used is seed. Smooth ovoid seed, chestnut-brown and lustrous, hard, with a slightly sweet then bitter and astringent taste.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
LYCHEE
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- lychee
- Scientific name
- Litchi chinensis Sonn.
- Family
- Sapindaceae
Form
- Part used
- seed
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- sweet · bitter
Temperature
- TCM
- warm
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Liver · Stomach
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- moves qi, disperses cold-stagnation, spreads constrained Liver qi, stops pain
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution where there is no cold or qi stagnation
- Toxicity
- no significant toxicity in normal use
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