Chicken-Intestine Grass

Chicken-Intestine Grass listed in the Supplementary Records as a lower-grade herb original: 雞腸草, jīcháng cǎo; in this context, it likely refers to Malachium aquaticum or a similar species of chickweed. The Supplementary Records (Bielu) is a classic pharmaceutical text from the 3rd century AD. Li Shizhen The most famous pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty (1518–1593), known for his rigorous classification systems distinguished between the two plants, Goose-Intestine and Chicken-Intestine, very clearly. However, Chicken-Intestine also has many common names. Now, I have provided an illustration of Chicken-Intestine Vegetable based on the Famine Relief Herbal original: 救荒本草, Jiùhuāng Běncǎo; a 15th-century treatise by Prince Zhu Su detailing plants that can be eaten during times of famine.