MATERIA MEDICA OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE. 361 
Su Kune [7th cent.]:—It is now produced in King and 
Siang [both in Hu pei, App. 145, 305], in Han chung 
[S. Shen si, App. 5417 and in Kiang tso [An hui and Kiang 
su, App. 124]. There are two kinds. One resembles barley. 
It (the stem) consists of a series of joints. At the top 
is one leaf. This is called 3 | mai (barley) hu. The 
other sort has a stem like the thigh-bone of a bird. The 
leaves are at the summit of the stem. It is called yn 
tsio pi (bird’s thigh) Au. There is another kind of hu, which 
resembles a bamboo. The leaves proceed from the joints. 
The shi hu is dried for use or it is steeped in wine. 
Su Sune [11th cent.]:—The shi hu now grows also in 
King chou {in Hu pei, App. 146], in Kuang chou [in Ho 
nan, App. 163], in Shou chou and Lii chou [both in An 
hui, App. 290, 206], in Kiang chou [in Kiang si, App. 125], 
in Wen chou and Tai chou {both in Che kiang, App. 
885, 826]. But the best comes from Kuang nan [Kuang 
tung, App. 162]. It is a mountain plant. The stem looks 
like a small bamboo. Small leaves proceed from the joints 
of the stem. It blossoms in the 7th month and bears fruit 
in the 10th. The root is slender, long and of a yellow 
colour. That growing on rocks is the best. 
Lit Sui-cuen :—The shi hu grows in bunches on rocks. 
Its root consists of numerous knots (bulbs). When dried 
it becomes white and delicate. The fresh stem and the leaves 
are green, but when dried they become yellow. It has red 
flowers. The rootlets which are produced upon the joints 
are broken off by the people and planted in coarse sand 
among stones. They suspend this plant in their houses, and 
When sprinkled with water it will not die for years. It is 
therefore called F- 46 YA tsien nien jun (thousand-years 
Moist). The shi hu, which grows on rocks, is a short plant 
and has a solid stem, but the mu hu, which grows upon 
trees, is long and has a hollow stem. They are very easily 
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