Vegetables, Volume 6

Page 10

Warning: This page features a high-contrast woodblock print. Some text on the far left binding edge has been partially cut off during the original printing or binding process.

Paicai

original: 排菜. This name refers to a variety of mustard-like greens. The name "Pai" (meaning "row" or "array") often refers to the orderly way the leaves or plants grow, making them easy to identify in the wild.

The illustration depicts the plant "Paicai," a type of vegetable described in traditional Chinese materia medica Bencao; the traditional Chinese scientific study of plants, minerals, and animals for medicinal and dietary use.

The woodblock illustration shows a detailed botanical study of the Paicai plant. It is characterized by its distinct, deeply serrated leaves and a central stalk that terminates in a dense, crown-like cluster of flowers. These visual details were critical for readers using this manual to forage for food during times of scarcity.