Illustrated Investigation of Plant Names and Realities, Volume 4


Illustrated Investigation of Plant Names and Realities, Volume 4	Written by Wu Qijun of Gushi	Edited and Published by Lu Yinggu of Mengzi	Vegetables	Beet original: 菾菜 (tiàn cài); likely Chard or Leaf Beet	Malabar Spinach original: 落葵 (luò kuí)	Chicken-Gut Grass original: 雞腸草 (jī cháng cǎo)	Rapeseed original: 蕓薹菜 (yún tái cài)	Bottle Gourd original: 瓠子 (hù zǐ)
				Taro	Chickweed original: 繁縷 (fán lǚ)	Fish Mint original: 蕺菜 (jí cài)	Fennel	Radish

Table of Contents

Vegetables, Volume 4

Wu Qijun (1789–1847), the author, was a high-ranking official who served as Governor of several provinces. His geographical movements allowed him to observe and document a vast range of flora across China.

Lu Yinggu, the editor/publisher mentioned here, was a scholar from Yunnan province who was instrumental in bringing Wu's massive manuscript to its final woodblock print form in 1848.

Vegetables (蔬類, shū lèi)In this historical context, this category refers specifically to cultivated or gathered herbaceous plants used for food, as opposed to wild "Mountain Herbs" or grains.

Fish Mint (蕺菜, jí cài)Scientific name: Houttuynia cordata. It is a common vegetable and medicinal herb in Southern China, famous for its pungent, fish-like smell and cooling properties.

Chicken-Gut Grass (雞腸草, jī cháng cǎo)A common name used for various small-leaved plants like chickweed or certain types of purslane, so named because their tangled, thin stems resemble bird intestines.