Compendium of Materia Medica

Herb Section Fifteen
Illustrations for the Compendium of Materia Medica

A traditional Chinese woodblock botanical illustration of the plant Penggao a species of Artemisia or related herbaceous plant. The plant is depicted with a central stem that splits into several branches. The leaves are broad and deeply lobed with serrated margins. At the top of two branches are large, dense, dome-shaped clusters composed of many small flowers or seed heads. The base of the plant features a detailed, branching fibrous root system.