328 Sino-Iranica 



make abundant use of tse-kun cosmetic, which is commonly called 

 tse-kuh. In general, all these substances may be used as remedies in 

 blood diseases. 1 Also the juice from the seeds of lo k'wei $£ f£ (Basella 

 rubra) may be taken, and, mixed evenly with powder, may be applied 

 to the face. Also this is styled hu yen-Zi." Now it becomes clear why 

 Basella rubra, a plant indigenous to China, is termed hu yen-Zi in the 

 T'un Zi of Ceh Tsiao and by Ma Ci of the tenth century: this name 

 originally referred to the cosmetic furnished by Butea frondosa or other 

 trees on which the lac-insect lives, 2 — trees growing in Indo-China, the 

 Archipelago, and India. This product, accordingly, was foreign, and 

 hence styled "foreign cosmetic" or "cosmetic of the barbarians" 

 (hu yen-Zi). Since Basella was used in the same manner, that name 

 was ultimately transferred also to the cosmetic furnished by this 

 indigenous plant. 



What is not stated by Li Si-cen is that yen-Zi is also used with 

 reference to Mirabilis jalapa, because from the flowers of this plant is 

 derived a red coloring-matter often substituted for carthamine. 3 It 

 is obvious that the term yen-li has no botanical value, and for many 

 centuries has simply had the meaning "cosmetic." 



Fan C'eh-ta (1126-93), in his Kwei hai yii hen &", 4 mentions a. yen-Zi 

 HI Bh tree, strong and fine, with a color like yen-Zi (that is, red), good 

 for making arrowheads, and growing in Yuh eou, also in the caves of 

 this department, and in the districts of Kwei-lin, in Kwan-si Province. 

 A. Henry 5 gives for Yi-c'an in Se-£'wan a plant-name yen-Zi ma Ba 

 M ("cosmetic hemp"), identified with Patrinia villosa. 



1 On account of the red color of the berries. 



2 See p. 478. 



1 Stuart, Chinese Materia Medica, p. 264; Matsumura, No. 2040; Perrot and 

 Hurrier, Matiere m6dicale et pharmacopee sino-annamites, p. 116, where lo-k'wei 

 is erroneously given as Chinese name of the plant. 



4 Ed. of Ci pu tsu cai ts'un Su, p. 28 b. 



s Chinese Names of Plants, p. 239 (Journal China Branch Roy. As. Soc, 

 Vol. XXII, 1887). 



