MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 193 
T’ao Huna-xing :—The fui which is sown in autumn 
Stows during the winter and bears seed in spring. It is 
therefore called tung kui (winter kuz). It is used in 
medicine and is very mucilaginous. The # | ch‘un (spring) 
Kui is likewise mucilaginous, but not much used. 
Su Kune [7th cent.]:—This is the kui which is com- 
monly used for food. There are many sorts of it. They are 
not employed as medicines. 
Su Suna [11th cent.]:—The ku is a common plant. 
4 The young plants and the leaves are used as a vegetable, 
Which is sweet and palatable. In ancient times the seeds 
of the tung k‘uéd were commonly used in medicine. There 
are many sorts of kui: the Hy | Shu kui (Althea rosea), 
the $i | kin kui (Malva sylvestris), the $ | huang (yellow) 
ee (ibiseus Manihot, also II. Abelmoschus), the & | 
chung kui [Basella. See Rh ya, 148], the $i | tu kur 
[ Anemone. See Rh ya, 115]. All these plants are useful. 
Li Sut-cuen :—The &‘ui was a common food in ancient 
times and was considered the first of the five vegetables, 
= but nowadays it is not much eaten. It was also called 
“ BRE lu (dew) kui. Now the people call it also yp ZR hua 
at (mucilaginous vegetable), but it is rarely cultivated. 
Two sorts are distinguished, according to the colour of the 
stem, which is purple or white. The latter is preferred. It 
_ has large leaves, small purple and yellow flowers. That sort 
with very small flowers is called me Hl | ya kio kus 
(duck’s-foot mallow). The fruit (of the kui) is of the size 
of the end of a finger and flattened. Its skin is thin. The 
Seeds within are light and resemble the seed-vessels of the 
elm. From that sown in the 4th or 5th month seed may 
be left, That sown in the 6th or 7th month is called 
ARR tstiv (autumn) Kui, that sown in the 8th and 9th 
_ Months is 4& | tung (winter) k‘wi, that sown in the Ist 
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