Chinese Materia Medica ⁽⁶³⁾

The Chinese medicine Jixuecao is the whole herb of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban of the Apiaceae family, also called Lianqiancao, Diqiancao, or Maticao, named for the shape of its leaves, which resemble copper coins or horse hooves. Centella has a long medicinal history. The earliest…

The Chinese medicine Xuchangqing is the root and rhizome, or the whole herb with root, of Cynanchum paniculatum (Bunge) Kitagawa of the Apocynaceae family. Also known as Gu Duzhong or Shixia Changqing, it was first recorded in the Shennong Bencao Jing (Divine Husbandman Classic of…

Erse Blood-Supplementing Grass (bicolor sea-lavender, Limonium bicolor) is the root or whole herb of Limonium bicolor of the leadwort family (Plumbaginaceae). Its flowers come in two colors—part pink, part yellow—hence the name "two-color blood-supplementing grass." Because it flowers profusely with bright colors, it has high…

Hawthorn is the ripe fruit of Crataegus pinnatifida, Crataegus pinnatifida var. major, and Crataegus cuneata of the Rosaceae family. It is both a Chinese medicinal herb and an edible fruit. Traditional TCM holds that hawthorn is sour and sweet in taste and slightly warm in…

The Chinese herb shi wei (Pyrrosia leaf) is the whole plant of Pyrrosia lingua, Pyrrosia sheareri, Pyrrosia drakeana, Pyrrosia pekinensis, and Pyrrosia petiolosa of the Polypodiaceae family. It is also known as fei daojian, wugong qi, qixing jian, yizhi jian, jinxing cao, and shi lan.

The ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is an ornamental plant found throughout China. Each autumn, when its leaves turn yellow, cities gain a striking scenic sight. Wild ginkgo grows mainly in the natural forests of Tianmu Mountain, at elevations of 500–1000 m on acidic, well-drained soil. Ginkgo…

There is a plant whose leaves are rich in nutrients and pectin and can be made into a tofu-like food, making it very popular among common people. Its botanical name is Premna microphylla (doufu chai). As the name suggests, it is a shrub like firewood,…

On October 1st, on my way home from picking vegetables in the garden, I passed the Hanhe River Park at the foot of Fragrant Hill and happened upon a large grove of Aesculus trees, uncommon in the north. The Aesculus (seven-leaf tree) is named for…

Cotton is an indispensable necessity of daily life: many of the clothes we wear, the hats on our heads, the bags on our shoulders, the shoes on our feet, and the bedding we sleep on are made of cotton. The cotton we commonly use comes…

The Chinese medicine Xiong Huang is a sulfide mineral of the realgar group, mainly containing arsenic disulfide (As2S2) with a small amount of impurities, mainly produced in Cili and Shimen (Hunan), and Langdai and Sinan (Guizhou). Realgar is a typical mineral of low-temperature hydrothermal and…