MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 299 
Pen king :—Sian hua [this name has the same meaning 
as Convolvulus)}, fi Hi kin hen (tendon root). The flowers 
and the root are officinal. Taste of the flowers sweet, and of 
the root pungent. Nature warm. Non-poisonous. 
Pie lu :—Other name J HL mei ts‘ao (beautiful plant). 
The stan hua grows in Yi chou [An hui, App. 413] in 
marshes, Gathered in the 5th month and dried in the shade. 
The flowers are called 4 ¥§ kin fu. The root heals broken 
tendons (whence the above name). 
Su Kune [7th cent.]:—The sian hua is more properly 
called fi PH sian fu. Its root resembles a tendon, whence 
the name kin ken [v. supra]. The Pie lu confounds this 
plant with another of a homophonous name, wi. the fe 7 
stian fu (Inula, See 81], the flowers of which are officinal, 
and the kin fu belongs to the latter. 
Han Pao-suene [10th cent.]:—The siian fu hua grows 
in marshes. It is a twining plant. Its leaves resemble those 
of the shu yi [ Dioscorea. See 262] but are narrower and 
longer. It has red flowers. The root has neither hairs 
(radical fibres) nor joints. It is eaten when steamed or cooked, 
and has a pleasant sweet taste. It is also known under the 
name of kin ken (tendon root) and is gathered [for medical 
use] in the 2nd and 8th months and dried in the sun. 
Su Sune [11th cent.]:—Owing to the property of the 
root to heal broken tendons, the southern people call it 
BA fj BE su kin ken. Another name, which refers to its 
shape, is Jif HA Gt tun ch‘ang ts‘ao (sucking-pig’s bowels). 
K‘ou Tsune-sni [12th cent.]:—It is a common plant in 
Ho pei [S. Chi li, App. 78], Pien si [in Ho nan, App. 249] 
and in Kuan and Shen [Shan si and Shen si, App. 158, 284], 
Where it grows in fields. It blossoms in the 4th or 5th 
month, A small cutting of the root, when placed in the 
ground and properly watered, will produce a young plant 
