'/^j, an explanation of the names. The j characters 
third, i j|j ^ gives the botanical descrip- 
tion. These three alone can interest ns, for 
the bulky remainder is consecrated to phar- 
macological and therapeutical notices. 
The Chinese names of plants consist of 
one character, but very often they are found 
bv 2 or 3 characters. Ten of the Chinese 
radicals denote plants, and their combinations 
with other characters form the greatest 
part of the names of plants, used in Chinese 
books. These characters are : 
n tsia ° ° r Herb. (140).— 1423 com- 
binations. The most of them denote names 
of plants. F. i. ai, Artemisia. — 
ming, the book’s name of Tea. — 3^ tsien, 
llubia. 
* mu , Wood (75). — 1232 combinations. 
The names of most trees are to be found 
under this radical . — ,^pr tso, a kind of Oak. 
— chen, Hazelnut. 
The radical characters lio Paddy, 
Corn, (115), mi, Rice (119), mai 
Wheat (199) and shu, Millet (202) and 
their combinations form the names of most 
kinds of corn. F. i. sien, a kind of 
llice, su, a kind of Millet, mou, 
Barley. 
The radical JR kua (97) and its com- 
positions relates almost exclusively to several 
kinds of Cucumbers, Melons, Gourds etc., 
whilst the radical 5?. tou (151) is conserv- 
ated to the leguminous plants and pulse. 
The radical jjjjjjt ma (202) denotes hemp 
and other textile plants ; the radical fs 
chu Bamboo. 
After having enumerated the different 
names of the plant, according to different 
authors, the Pen-ts‘ao gives an etymological 
explanation of the names. For most part 
each plant is denoted by a peculiar charac- 
ter. For instance the character for Diospy- 
rus Kaki is shi, for Euryale ferox 35 
Men. The common character for lea is 
^ ch l a. The Jujube (Zi|yphus) is denoted 
by the character tsao, which is formed 
by two characters ^ denoting thorn. It 
is, as explained in the Pen-ts‘ao, on account 
of the prickled appearance of the tree. The 
Lu and 
Wei denote 
Arundo phragmites. The plants, which en- 
joy, on account of their utility, a greatrenown, 
have even peculiar characters’ for all parts of 
the plant. According to the Rh-va (v. s.) the 
root of the Nenuphar (Nelumbium «Specio- 
sum) is called Ou, the lea ves and the 
stalk together Hu, (Pen-ts‘ao], the stalk 
Kia* the lower part of the stalk, being 
in the mud *ils» Mi, the leaf pa Sta , the 
bud of the dower Tan, the seed with 
the spungy testa y||j lien , the white seed 
without the testa ti, the cotyledons with 
the plumule within the seed i. As is 
known the common name of the Nenuphar is 
a it lien-hua, and the torus is called 
j |pr lien-p'&ng. The male plant of the 
hemp Cannabis sativa, ma is designated 
by the character si, whilst the female 
(seed bearing) plant is tsii . 
The characters which express the name 
often relate to the appearance of the plant, 
their properties & t\, F. i. Physalis Alke- 
kengi, the Winter Cherry is H Ufa 
Hung-ku-mang, red girl, on account of the 
red leafy bladder, which encloses the ripe 
fruit. — Celosia cristata, Cock's comb, bears 
the same name in Chinese Ki-kuan. 
— Arachis hypogaea, Ground-nut is called 
m ft T Lo-hua-sheng ( the blosoms 
fall down and grow), as the Gre’ek word hy- 
pogaea also denotes, the fruits growing seem- 
ingly in the ground. After the fall of the 
dower the fruit curves downwards and the 
pod ripens in the soil. — The Chimonantlius 
fragrans is called m La-mei for its 
blossoms appear in in the 12th month (la), 
the Jasminum nudidorum Ying- 
cMun-hua (dowers which go to meet the 
spring,) on account of the early appearance 
of its blossoms in spring. — Lilium tigrinum 
bears the Chinese name Po-hd (hun- 
dred together), owing to the numerous scales, 
which form the bulb. This bulb is largely 
used as food in China. 
There are in China a great number of 
cultivated plants, which have been introduc- 
ed from other countries, especially from In- 
* The same character lue.dcnotes Solatium Melong- 
eua, Briujal. ' 
