VEGETABI.E KINGDOM. 347 



POPULUS BALSAMIFEPA.— f# m (Hai-tHing). Also 

 called $l] ^ (Tz'ii-t'ung). This is Faber's ideiitificatiou, but 

 the descriptiou in the PSu/sao would rather indicate Acantho- 

 panax (see p. 4). It grows in the south near the sea, has 

 leaves as large as a hand arranged ternately, a firm white 

 bark which can be made into ropes that do not rot in water, 

 and bears a red flower. It is possible that two or more genera 

 are confounded under this name. The bark is used as an 

 astringent in cholera, chronic diarrhoea and dysentery, dis- 

 charging skin diseases, decayed teeth, inflamed eyes, and as an 

 anthelmintic and parasiticide. The flowers are used as a 

 styptic in wounds. 



POPULUS TREMULA.— ^^ % (I-yang). This is de- 

 scribed in the P&ntsao under the term ^ \^ {^\\-\)^ and the 

 name ^ -^ (T'ang-ti), or more properly % ^ (Ch'ang-ti), is 

 given as a synonym. In Japan ^ \^ (Fu-i) is the Chinese 

 term for Aronia asiatica^ a small tree of the order Rosaceae, 

 with white flowers in racemes, and bearing a fruit like the 

 P7'Uiius japonica. There seems therefore to be some confound- 

 ing of names in the P^ntsao^ but the description given evidently 

 refers to a Populus. The bark is bitter and considered to be 

 slightly deleterious. It is used for aflfections of the feet, one 

 of which answers pretty well to the description of gout. It 

 also is regarded as anthelmintic and is highly esteemed in 

 profuse leucorrhcea. 



PORPHYRA COCCINEA.— ^ % (Tzu-ts«ai). This algal 

 plant is a sort of laver^ which is green when in the fresh state 

 and purple when dry. It grows on the sea shore of south 

 China, and the Fukienese gather it and press it into cakes. It 

 is not poisonous, but when taken in excess produces colicky 

 pains, flatulence, and eructation of mucus. It is recommended 

 in diseases of the throat, especially goitre. 



PORTULACCA OLERACEA.— J^ ^ % (Ma-ch'ih- 

 hsien). The purslanes and amaranths are rorifoanded in 

 China, and very naturally so, since the plants resemVtif each 

 other in general appearance and habits, i^ (Hsien) refers for 



