Ginseng

Ginseng (Panax ginseng): Referred to in the original text as original: 人參 (Renshen). This term is a botanical illustration entry from a historical materia medica original: Bencao; a traditional Chinese pharmacopeia.

[Illustration]
A traditional Chinese woodcut illustration of a ginseng plant. The image depicts the plant's characteristic features: palmate leaves arranged in a circle around a central stem, and clusters of flowers or berries at the top. Two specimens are shown—likely representing different growth stages or varieties—set within a simple landscape suggested by sparse ground lines and a weathered rock.

This is a high-quality example of pre-modern Chinese botanical illustration. It demonstrates the technical precision and stylistic conventions of scientific woodblock printing used to help physicians and foragers identify medicinal herbs in the wild.

The medicinal root is famously known for its "human-like" shape, often featuring two "legs" and "arms," which is why it is named the "human root" in the original Chinese. It is the most revered of all herbs, believed to strengthen the vital organs and restore the body's primary energy.