Huangqi [Astragalus], Mountain Herbs, Volume 7

Astragalus (Huangqi)

Mountain Herbs, Volume 7

Astragalusoriginal: "Huangqi" (黃耆). One of the most vital "tonic" herbs in East Asian medicine. The name literally means 'Yellow Elder,' reflecting the yellow interior of the root and its status as a 'senior' or superior medicinal plant. Mountain Herbsoriginal: "Shancao" (山草). A taxonomic category used in historical Chinese herbals for plants primarily harvested in wild, mountainous regions. Volume 7original: "Juan zhi qi" (卷之七). Materia Medicaoriginal: "Bencao" (本草). The traditional Chinese term for a pharmacopoeia or the study of medicinal substances.

Illustration: A detailed woodcut shows the Astragalus membranaceus plant. Its distinctive pinnate leaves—leaflets arranged in pairs along a stem like a feather—and its tall spikes of flowers are clearly rendered, providing a visual guide for identification by collectors and physicians.

original: "Jingdu" (京都). In the 19th-century context of this work, this refers to Beijing. As the administrative heart of the Qing Dynasty, Beijing was the central marketplace where the finest medicinal herbs were gathered, graded, and redistributed across the empire.

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