The Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica

Imperial Edition of the Complete Library in Four Sections

original: "Qinding Siku Quanshu." This was a massive 18th-century project to collect and preserve all significant Chinese literature, commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor. The "Four Sections" refers to Classics, History, Philosophy, and Belles-lettres.

Compendium of Materia Medica: Illustrated Volume, Middle Part of the Middle Section

Herbs, Section Eleven
Herbs (Caobu): The largest category in the Compendium, describing flowering plants, grasses, and weeds. Li Shizhen divided herbs into several subsections based on their habitat and growth habits.

Named but not yet applied
original: "Youming weiyong" (有名未用). This category includes plants that appeared in earlier medical texts by name, but whose specific medicinal properties, preparation methods, or practical uses were not yet understood or verified.

Grains, Section One
Hemp, Wheat, and Rice varieties

Grains, Section Two

Li Shizhen (1518–1593) was a renowned physician and naturalist. His "Compendium of Materia Medica" is considered the most comprehensive and scientific medical text of the pre-modern era.