MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 153 
For other ancient names see Bot. sin., II, 25, 444. 
Pie lu:—Other name: § BF chen wei. The ch‘ung wei 
grows near the seashore and on the margins of pools and 
marshes. It (the seeds) is gathered in the 5th month. 
T‘ao Hune-xina:-—This plant is found everywhere. 
Its leaves resemble those of the jen [Perilla. See 67]. The 
stem is square. Small, oblong triangular seeds. Seldom 
used in medicine. 
Cu‘en Ts‘anc-K‘ [8th cent.]:—The popular name of 
the ch‘ung wei is 5% EX ch‘ou ts‘ao (stinking plant). 
Ta Mine [10th cent.]:—Stem, leaves and root likewise 
used in medicine. 2 
Su Sune [11th cent.]:—The plant is common in gardens 
and in waste places. It is mentioned in the Rh ya [25]. 
The seeds are black and resemble those of the ki kuan (Celosia 
cristata). Square stem. 
K‘ou Tsuna-sut [12th cent.]:—The young plant can be 
used for food. 
Ia Sut-cHen :—The ch‘ung wei grows abundantly near 
water-courses, in damp places. The young plant in spring 
resembles a young hao (Artemisia). In summer it is from 
three to four feet high. It has as quare stem. The leaves 
resemble ai leaves (Artemisia vulgaris) but are green (not 
downy) underneath. They are trilobed with long points. 
The small flowers are arranged (in a whorl) around the 
joints, and are of a red colour tinged with white. Each 
calyx contains four seeds as large as those of the t‘ung hao 
(Chrysanthemum Roxburghii), triangular and of a gray colour. 
The living plant has an unpleasant odour. The root is white. 
The descriptions given by ancient authors—as, for instance, 
that the leaves resemble Perilla leaves, that the seeds are 
black, ete.—are incorrect. There are two kinds of ch‘ung 
20 
