Melia

original: 棟 (dòng); while this character is frequently used in modern Chinese to refer to a "pillar" or "ridgepole," in a botanical context—and specifically in works like the Sancai Tuhui—it identifies the Melia tree, also known as the Chinaberry or Persian Lilac. It is often synonymous with the character 楝 (liàn) in historical pharmacology.

This page serves as the illustrative frontispiece for the Melia tree. The woodcut depicts the tree's characteristic compound leaves and clusters of small, round berries, which were traditionally used as a potent, though bitter, treatment for internal parasites and skin ailments.