MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 351 
third year a white stalk appears in the heart of the plant 
like Nelumbium root, resembling the forearm of a child. 
It is white and delicate and has black veins. It is likewise 
edible and is called | PY ku shou (head of the ku). 
Cu‘en Ts‘anc-xK‘1 [8th cent.]:—The small ku shou 
when broken shows a black dust inside. It is called Bw 
wu yi and is eaten by the people. 
Su Sune [11th cent.]:—The ku hen (root) is common 
in rivers, lakes and swamps. Its leaves resemble those of 
the pu (Typha) and the wei (common reed). They are 
cut for feeding horses, which it fattens. At the end of 
spring the root sends up white sprouts resembling bamboo- 
sprouts. They are called ku ts‘ai [v. supra], also 3 £4 kiao 
pai, and are used for food, both raw and cooked. They are of 
an agreeable sweet taste. In the heart of these sprouts is 
a central mass which resembles the forearm of a child. 
This isealled [| 5 hu shou (arm) not ku shou (FA head). This 
plant is mentioned in the Rh ya [88], and the commentator 
speaks of the fungus produced in it. Since that time the 
people in the south use the character fi ku as a synonym 
for Tat kitn (mushroom). The root of the ku is like that of 
the common reed. It is common in the marshes of the two 
Che [Che kiang, App. 10]. When the stem of this plant 
has become hard it is called | H% BE ku tsiang ts‘co. In 
autumn it bears fruit. The seeds are called hi BK tao 
hu mi and in times of scarcity are used as a substitute for 
corn. 
K‘ou Tsune-sut [12th cent.] says:—The ku is a kind 
of reed. The people on the northern border of China use 
it for feeding horses and for making mats. It flowers in 
the 8th month. The flowers resemble those of the common 
reed, 
This plant, first mentioned in the P. [l.c.] as a water- 
_ Plant, is there spoken of for a second time (XXIII, 15] 
