Compendium of Materia Medica, Volume 2

Compendium of Materia Medica (本草綱目, Běncǎo Gāngmù)The definitive Chinese pharmaceutical encyclopedia compiled by Li Shizhen during the Ming Dynasty (1578). Many later botanical works used its structure as a standard reference.

Lamb's Quarters (灰藋, huī diào)Scientific name: Chenopodium album. A hardy, edible wild plant often found in disturbed soils; its leaves are used similarly to spinach.

Garland Chrysanthemum (茼蒿, tóng hāo)A popular leafy vegetable in East Asian cuisine, known for its distinct aromatic fragrance and use in hot pot dishes.

East Wind Vegetable (東風菜, dōng fēng cài)Scientific name: Aster scaber. A wild perennial herb whose young leaves are frequently foraged as a spring vegetable in mountainous regions.

Water Spinach (蕹菜, wèng cài)Scientific name: Ipomoea aquatica. A semi-aquatic tropical plant with hollow stems, a staple green in Southern Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking.

Stone Parsley (邪蒿, xié hāo)Typically refers to plants in the Seseli genus. Historically noted for its aromatic properties and occasionally used in traditional medicine.

Celtuce (萵苣, wō jù)Also known as Asparagus Lettuce. Unlike Western lettuce, this variety is prized for its thick, crunchy, edible stem rather than its leaves.

Milk Vetch (翹搖, qiáo yáo)Specifically the Chinese Milk Vetch (Astragalus sinicus). It produces beautiful purple flowers and was traditionally used as "green manure" to fertilize rice paddies, as well as a seasonal vegetable.

Bush Vetch (薇, wēi)A type of wild legume (Vicia). It holds a significant place in Chinese literature, famously associated with the story of Boyi and Shuqi, who chose to live on foraged vetch rather than serve a new dynasty.