MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 161 
Su Sune [11th cent.]:—The siao ki is a common plant. 
Its vulgar name is }f Wl] #if ts‘ing ts‘c’ ké (green spiny 
thistle). The young leaves together with the roots, in spring, 
when the plant is from two to three inches high, are used for 
food and considered very palatable. In the 4th month the 
plant is about one foot high and very spiny. The flower- 
heads issue from the heart of the plant and resemble those of 
the hung lan (Carthamus tinct.). They are of a greenish 
purple colour. The people in the north call it F- fF 
ts‘ien chen ts‘ao (thousand needles plant). For medical use 
the stem and the leaves are gathered in the 4th month, the 
root in the 9th, and dried in the shade.—The greater ki 
in its leaves and root resembles the lesser, but the plant is 
fatter and larger. 
K‘ou Tsune-sur [12th cent.]:—The greater and the 
lesser ki resemble each other. Flowers like tufts of hair. 
The greater grows from four to five feet high, has wrinkled 
leaves, the lesser is only one foot high. Leaves not wrinkled. 
It is used as a vegetable. 
It Sui-cuen gives as synonyms the names ¥E JA Hi 
ki ting ts‘ao (cockscrown), BF ¥0 76 ye hung hua (wild 
Carthamus). Some authors refer the ta ki to Rh ya, 187, 
ki or kou tu. 
Ch., XI, 86 :—Ta ki. Two drawings, apparently Cnicus 
is intended. One of the plants figured shows a tuberous 
toot. It is said there that the root of the ¢a ki in Kiang si 
is known to the native physicians under the name of t*u jen 
shen (native ginseng).—Comp. also Kiu huang, XLVI, 3, 
taki. Leaves eaten. Root said to be poisonous. 
Lour., 589:—Carduus tuberosus, Canton. Sinice thu 
gin sen. The tuberous root is officinal. 
Tavar., Cat.,19:—Ta ki. Radix Cardui seu Dipsaci.— 
In the Peking mountains the people apply the name ta ki to 
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