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Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms, Volume on Herbs and Trees, Part Four

Inula Flower

original: Xuanfuhua (旋復花). Also known as Inula japonica, a yellow flower often used in traditional medicine to resolve phlegm and stop vomiting.

Inula grows in marshy plains and river valleys; today it can be found in almost any location. After the second lunar month, the plant begins to sprout, appearing most frequently near the water’s edge. It greatly resembles Safflower original: Honglan (紅藍) but lacks its characteristic thorns. The plant grows to a height of about one to two feet, featuring leaves similar to those of a willow and slender stems.

In the sixth lunar month, it blooms with flowers resembling small chrysanthemums, about the size of a small copper coin and deep yellow in color. People in the rural fields of Shangdang A historic commandery located in modern-day Shanxi Province refer to it as the Gold Coin Flower original: Jinqianhua (金錢花). Between the seventh and eighth months, the flowers are harvested and dried in the sun.

It is also known by the names Daishen "Wearing a Mulberry", Golden Boiling Herb original: Jinfeicao (金沸草), and Shengshen "Abundant Mulberry". Its taste is sweet, and it is considered slightly toxic. It is primarily used to treat qi vital energy imbalances in the ribs and intestines, to dispel alternating chills and fever, and to treat edema. Furthermore, it is used to treat stagnant water in the bladder, to stimulate the appetite, and to stop vomiting or the inability to swallow food.

Xuanfuhua (旋復花) — Inula flower; Daishen (戴椹) — An alias for Inula; Jinfeicao (金沸草) — "Golden Boiling Herb," often referring to the stems and leaves of the Inula; Shengshen (盛椹) — An alias for Inula; Jinqianhua (金錢花) — "Gold Coin Flower," a common name based on its appearance; Sancai Tuhui (三才圖會) — The "Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms," a famous Chinese encyclopedia from the Ming Dynasty; Caomu (草木) — Herbs and Trees (the botanical category).