MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 195 
T‘ao Hune-Kina :—The swan tsiang is a common plant. 
It resembles the shui (water) ke (Solanum nigrum) but is 
smaller. The leaves are edible. The fruit is of the size 
of a plum, of a yellowish red colour, and is enclosed within 
a capsule (bladder, inflated calyx). Children eat it. 
Su Kune [7th cent.]:—This plant is also called 9 $@ #4 
teng lung ts‘ao (lantern plant). The stem is branchy and from 
three to four feet high. The red fruit is contained within a 
red flower (bag) which has the appearance of a lantern; 
It is very handsome. All parts of the plant are used in 
medicine. 
Han Pao-sHene [10th cent.]:—The swan tsiang is the 
same as the 7& PE k‘u chen [see Rh ya, 55]. The root 
resembles the tsi k‘in (pickled celery), is of a white colour 
and very bitter. 
Cuana Yi-n1 [11th cent.]:—The # MM ku tan grows 
in neglected places from two to three feet high. The fruit 
is globular, red when ripe, and enclosed within a kind of 
bag. The people of Kuan chung [in Shen si, App. 158] 
call it Y& iil BE lo shen chu. Other names are = PE RR 
wang mu chu, J Fp BX pi pien ts‘ao (skin bonnet plant). 
There is a small variety which is called 2 9 ‘wu chi. The 
author refers to Rh ya, 144. Comp. also supra, 34. 
K‘o Tsune-sut [12th cent.]:—The suan tsiang or k*u tan 
resembles the t‘ien k‘ie tsz‘ (Solanum nigrum). Small white 
flowers, Fruit like a cherry, red, and enclosed in a bladder. 
It contains small seeds like those of the lo su (Solanum 
melongena). Its taste is like green grass. 
Li Sui-cuey gives a similar description of the plant: 
White flowers, five cleft corolla, fruit a pentagone pendent 
bladder like a lantern. Other name K fg BE tien pao ts‘ao 
(Heaven bladder). 
