Materia Medica

Aquilaria malaccensis branch with narrow glossy leaves and small yellow-green flowers
Agarwood / Aloeswood / Oud (Aquilaria malaccensis) — Agaru / Gaharu / Eaglewood
Agarwood / Aloeswood / Oud (Aquilaria malaccensis) materia medica covering botanical identity, Ayurvedic and Chinese energetic traditions, resin formation, species confusion, traditional indications, preparations and dose context, pediatric limits, classical... Read more...
Akebia quinata chocolate vine with five-part leaves and purple-brown flowers
Akebia / Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata) — Five-Leaf Akebia / Mu Tong
Akebia / Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata) materia medica covering botanical identity, edible fruit, Akebiae Caulis / Mu Tong, 2025 Chinese Pharmacopoeia dose context, triterpenoid saponins, modern research, aristolochic-acid substitution risk,... Read more...
Albizia julibrissin silk tree with bipinnate leaves, pink silky flower heads and flat pods
Albizia / Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin) — He Huan Pi / He Huan Hua
Albizia / Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin) materia medica covering He Huan Pi bark and He Huan Hua flowers, 2025 Chinese Pharmacopoeia dose ranges, traditional calming and mood use, julibroside saponins,... Read more...
Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng) plant, realistic botanical photo
Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng) — Korean Ginseng, Chinese Ginseng, Ren Shen
Panax ginseng materia medica: botanical identification, traditional Chinese and Korean uses, white and red root, detailed preparation ratios and monograph doses, classical formulas, research, safety, and cultivation. Read more...
Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis) — Chinese Angelica, Female Ginseng
A whole-plant guide to Dong Quai (Angelica sinensis), covering root identity, Chinese herbal context, women's-health claims, research limits, bleeding, pregnancy and hormone-sensitive cautions, and cultural history. Read more...
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) — Guang Huo Xiang, Patchouly
A research-grounded guide to patchouli (Pogostemon cablin), also known as Guang Huo Xiang, covering perfumery, traditional Chinese herbal use, patchouli alcohol and other constituents, evidence limits, flavoring status and fragrance-allergy safety. Read more...
Reishi / Lingzhi (Ganoderma sichuanense) fruiting bodies
Reishi (Ganoderma lingzhi) — Lingzhi, Mushroom of Immortality
Reishi or lingzhi is the famous East Asian medicinal mushroom now best identified in its widely cultivated Chinese lineage as Ganoderma sichuanense, with G. lingzhi still common as a synonym... Read more...
Original botanical visualization of Rheum palmatum Chinese rhubarb, large lobed leaves and branched flower clusters in bright mountain meadow
Chinese Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) — Turkey Rhubarb, Indian Rhubarb
Chinese rhubarb root, called Da Huang in Chinese medicine, is primarily associated in modern European herbal regulation with short-term stimulant-laxative use for occasional constipation. This guide separates medicinal Rheum palmatum... Read more...
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) — False Saffron, Dyer's Saffron
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) supplies both colorful flowers and an edible seed oil, but the two materials are not interchangeable. This evidence-aware guide covers Hong Hua tradition, human research on safflower oil and specialized extracts, pregnancy and bleeding cautions, and practical safety. Read more...
Shiso (Perilla frutescens) — Perilla, Beefsteak Plant, Japanese Basil
Shiso is a culinary variety of Perilla frutescens, not a completely separate species. This guide separates shiso leaves from perilla seed oil and concentrated extracts, reviews East Asian food and herbal traditions, human allergy research, omega-3-rich seed oil, and the often-misunderstood livestock toxicity issue. Read more...
White Mulberry (Morus alba) — Silkworm Mulberry, Common Mulberry
White mulberry is both an edible fruit tree and the source of mulberry-leaf teas and extracts used in East Asian food and herbal traditions. This guide separates fruit, leaf, root bark and standardized extracts, reviews the best human evidence for post-meal glucose effects, and covers medication, allergy and invasive-species cautions. Read more...
Hairy Agrimony / Xian He Cao (Agrimonia pilosa): Traditional Astringent Use, Tannins, Agrimonolide, Research & Safety
Hairy agrimony (Agrimonia pilosa), known in Chinese herbal tradition as Xian He Cao, is a Rosaceae perennial distinct from the European agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria already covered elsewhere in this guide. This article reviews its traditional astringent and hemostatic reputation, tannins, flavonoids and agrimonolide, mostly preclinical anti-inflammatory and antiviral research, the shortage of rigorous human trials, and an important contradiction: an older animal study prolonged bleeding and coagulation times rather than supporting simple home use to stop bleeding. Read more...