Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Plants and Trees (1609) - Page 16

Page Eight

Bitter Mustard Seed original: "Ku Jie Zi" (苦芥子). The seeds of the mustard plant (Brassica juncea), which in traditional medicine are valued for their pungent, warming properties and their ability to penetrate the meridians and clear cold-phlegm.

Thirty Likely referring to the page number in this specific volume of the woodblock print. ...? Food original: "shi" (食). Indicates the plant's dual use as a dietary substance. Man original: "fu" (夫). This character can mean "husband" or "man," but is frequently used in classical Chinese as an introductory particle or to refer to an individual. ...?

[Woodcut Illustration]
A detailed woodcut depicts the Bitter Mustard Seed plant. The plant is shown with slender, upright stalks bearing numerous small seed pods, reflecting the botanical accuracy sought by Ming dynasty scholars. It is shown growing from a stylized base of jagged rocks, a common artistic convention in "materia medica" (Bencao) illustrations to indicate its natural habitat.