MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 549 
spring the white sprouts of this plant are collected and 
pickled. They may also be eaten when steamed. The people 
of Shan nan [S. Shen si, App. 268] call it héang (fragrant) 
pu, whilst by 5% | ch‘ou (stinking) p‘u they understand the 
ch‘ang pu [Acorus. See 195]. P*u huang is the name of 
the flowers of the hiang p‘u. 
Su Sune [11th cent.]:—The hiang p‘u is the name of 
the plant which produces the p‘w huang. It is a common 
plant. The best comes from Ts‘in chou [in Kan su, App. 
358]. The young plant, in the spring, when rising from 
the bottom of the water is of a reddish white colour. The 
heart of the tender plant which enters the mud, and which 
is called § $3 pai jo, is of the size of the handle of a spoon, 
and can be eaten raw. It is sweet and delicate. It is also 
very palatable when steeped in vinegar, like bamboo-sprouts. 
This is mentioned in the Chou li. Nowadays it is rarely 
used for food. In the beginning of summer the stem shoots 
upwards from the midst of the leaves. It bears at the top 
a kind of mace which contains the flowers. It is called 
HH BE p‘u ch‘ui (club, mace) and { #& p‘u o (receptacle). 
P‘u huang is the name for the powder of the filaments of the 
flowers (pollen). It is fine, like golden dust. The people 
collect it at the proper time, mix it with honey and sell it 
as a sweetmeat. 
Ia Sut-cuen :—The p‘u grows in a bushy manner by 
the sides of the water, like the kuan [a rush. See Bot. sin., 
IT, 455], but it is smaller and [the leaf] has a ridge. In the 
2nd and 3rd months the young roots are taken out and 
prepared with a condiment of fish. The old root is also 
edible when boiled in fat or steamed. Or it is dried in the 
sun and reduced to powder, of which cakes are made. In 
the 8th or 9th month the leaves are gathered and woven 
into mats. Fans can also be made of the leaves. They are 
pliable, smooth and keep warm, 
