【Introduction】

   This book contains information on 600 species of plants used in the preparation of Chinese medicines. In order to help the reader gain a deeper understanding of these plants, each entry includes a color illustration of a plant in its natural habitat and a description of the plant in Chinese. The description of each Chinese medicine includes its official name, alternate names, origins, characteristics, geographic distribution, collection and processing, constituents, pharmacological actions, indications, and clinical applications The Chinese medicines described in this book are grouped according to family. The families are ordered after the Iconographia Cormothytorum Siniscrum from lower to higher level. Within each family, plants are organized alphabetically according to the Latin spelling of the scientific names of their genus and species.

The official names given in this book are, in general, taken from the commonly used name for each Chinese medicine, such as Rehmanniae Radix, Platycodonis Radix, Glybotanical name of each source plant is given and the name of the Chinese medicine follows in parentheses, e. g., Prunus persica (Persicae semen), Prunus davidiana (Persicae semen), or Arisaema erubescens (Arisaematis rhizoma ) and Pinellia pedatisecta (Arisaematis rhizoma). If a plant's roots, fruit, rhizomes, and tubers are all used to make Chineese medicines, they are listed under one official name and subsidiary names are included in parentheses, thus explaining that the different parts of one plant are used to produce more than one kind of Chinese medicine, e. g., Sophorae Flos Immaturus (Sophorae Fructus ). In the case of popular remedies, either the popular name or the commonly-known plant name is used. 　Alternate names. Common alternate names from different parts of China for each medicinal plant are provided, though space constraints limits these to the most common names only. 　Origins. Scientifically records the family and botanical name of each plant and indicates the part or parts used for medicine. 　Characteristics. Describes in morphological detail the plant from which each Chinese medicine is taken and the special characteristics of the parts that are used. 　Geographic distribution. Records the growing environment in the wild for each plant or conditions for cultivation, as well as a summary of its geographic distribution in China. Geographic distribution is divided into major regions such as provinces south of the Yangtze River, the Northeast, the Southwest, and so on, though distribution for most plants is listed by province. 　Collection and processing. Describes the seasons for and methods of collecting each plant, and outlines the ways in which plants are processed and refined. Constituents. Describes the main chemical and active components of each medicinal plant. 　Pharmacological actions. Describes the properties and actions of various preparations, extracts, and active ingredients of each plant on animals. 　Indications. Describes the flavor, properties, major functions, uses and dosages of each Chinese medicine and notes its toxicity and incompatibilities. 　Clinical applications. Provides a summary of the use of each Chinese medicine in both traditional formulas and modern clinical applications for treating specific illnesses. Also describes experiences with popular applications. 　
For ease in locating information, this book includes a full table of contents and has indices organized by scientific and Chinese names (stroke-count index and alphabetic index).