Following are scientific names followed by the authority (botanist who originally named the
species), English common names, Chinese names, plant family common names and a major
indication for some of the most familiar Chinese herbs, often cited and more and more
occasionally used here in the United States. Phytochemical and pharmacological data are
available on most of them in the Father Nature's Farmacy database.
Albizia julibrissin Durazz. "Silk Tree" "He Huan Pi" (LEGUME FAMILY) Insomnia
Allium sativum "Garlic" Da Suan" (GARLIC FAMILY) Cold Preventive
Angelica sinensis "Chinese Angelica"; "Dong Gui" "Dong Quai"(CELERY FAMILY) Dysmenorrhea
Artemisia annua L. "Sweet Annie" "Qing Hao" (ASTER FAMILY) Malaria
Astragalus membranaceus "Huang Qi" "Chinese Milk Vetch" (LEGUME FAMILY) Immunodepression
Atractyloides lancea (Thunb.) DC. "Cang Zhu" (ASTER FAMILY) Tonic
Atractyloides macrocephala Koidz. "Bai Zhu" (ASTER FAMILY) Tonic
Belamcanda chinensis (L.)DC "Leopard Lily" "She gan" (LILY FAMILY) Sore Throat
Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Reich. B fil. "Hardy Orchid" "Bai-ji" (ORCHID FAMILY) Bronchitis
Celosia cristata L. "Cockscomb" "Ji-guan-hua" (AMARANTH FAMILY) Conjunctivitis
Chrysanthemum x morifolium Ramat "Mum" "Ju Hua" (ASTER FAMILY) Cold
Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. "Bonnet Bellflower" "Dang-Shen" Dyspepsia
Dianthus superbus "Fringed Pink" "Qu Mai" (PINK FAMILY) Cancer
Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz. "Dittany" Bai xianpi" (CITRUS FAMILY): Eczema
Eleutherococcus senticosus "Siberian ginseng" "Ci wu jia" "Wujia" (ARALIA FAMILY) Fatigue
Ephedra sinica "Chinese Ephedra" "Ma Huang" ( EPHEDRA FAMILY) Narcolepsy
Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. "Hardy Rubber Tree" "Du Zhong" (EUCOMMIACEAE) Hypertension
Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl "Golden-bells" "Lian-qiao" (OLIVE FAMILY) Cold; Nephritis
Gardenia jasminoides Ellis "Cape jasmine" "Zhi Zi" (COFFEE FAMILY) Hepatitis
Ginkgo biloba L. "Ginkgo" "Bai Guo" (GINKGO FAMILY) Poor Circulation
Glycyrrhiza uralensis "Chinese Licorice" " Gan Cao" (LEGUME FAMILY) Ulcers
Hemerocallis fulva (L.) L. "Day Lily" "Xuan Cao" (LILY FAMILY) Hepatitis
Hibiscus syriacus L. "Rose of Sharon" "Mu Jin Hua' (MALLOW FAMILY) Dysentery
Houttutnia cordata Thunb. "Chameleon Plant""Yu Xing Cao" (LIZARD's-TAIL FAMILY) Bronchitis
Leonurus heterophyllus Sweet "Chinese Motherwort" "Yi Mu Cao" (MINT FAMILY) Dysmenorrhea
Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.. "Sichuan Lovage" "Chuan Xiong" (CELERY FAMILY) Arthritis
Ligusticum sinense Oliv. "Gao Ben" (CELERY FAMILY) Arthritis
Ligustrum lucidum Ait. "Privet" "Chinese privet" "Nu Zhen Zi" (OLIVE FAMILY) Immunostimulant
Lonicera japonica Thunb. "Japanese Honeysuckle" "Jin yin hua" (HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY) Flu
Lycium chinense Mill. "Matrimony Vine" Wolfberry" "Gou Qi Zi" "Di Gi PI" (POTATO FAMILY)
Morus alba L. "White Mulberry" "Sang Ye" (MULBERRY FAMILY) Cold
Nandina domestica Thunb. "Heavenly Bamboo" "Nan-tian-zhu" (BARBERRY FLOWER) Cough
Paeonia lactiflora Pallas "Chinese Peony" "Bai Shao" (BUTTERCUP FAMILY) Headache
Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. "Tree Peony" "Mu Dan Pi" (BUTTERCUP FAMILY) Inflammation
Panax ginseng "Ginseng" "Ren Shen" (ARALIA FAMILY) Fatigue
Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. "Beefsteak Plant" "Zi su" (MINT FAMILY) Cold
Phellodendron amurense Rupr. "Amur Corktree" "Huang Bai" (CITRUS FAMILY) Infections; Inflammation
Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC. "Balloonflower" "Jie-geng" (BELLFLOWER FAMILY)
Bronchitis
Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc. "Giant Knotweed" "Hu Zhang" (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY) Arthritis
Polygonum multiflorum "Nimble Will" "Fo Ti" (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY) Fatigue
Prunus nune (Sieb.) Sieb. & Zucc. "Mume Plum" "Wu Mei" (ROSE FAMILY) Cough
Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi "Kudzu" "Ge Gen" (LEGUME FAMILY) Alcoholism
Rehmannia glutinosa Gaertn. "Chinese Foxglove" "Di Huang" (FIGWORT FAMILY) Diabetes
Rheum palmatum L. "Medicinal Rhubarb" "Da Huang" (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY)
Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge "Red Sage" "Dan Shen" (MINT FAMILY) Dysmenorrhea
Schisandra chinensis "Magnolia Vine" "Wu Wei Zi"(MAGNOLIA FAMILY) Hepatitis
Scutellaria baicalensis "Chinese Skullcap" "Huang Qin" (MINT FAMILY) Hepatitis
Sophora japonica L "Japanese Pagoda Tree" (LEGUME FAMILY) Varicose Veins
Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. "Chinese Cucumber" Tian hua fen" (GOURD FAMILY)Abortion, AIDS (Compound Q)
Tripterygium wilfordiii Hook. f. "Yellow Vine" (BITTERSWEET FAMILY) Immunosuppressant
Vitex negundo L. "Fiveleaf Chastetree" "Huang Jing Zi" (VERBENA FAMILY) Malaria
Zingiber officinale Roscoe "Ginger" "Gan-Jiang" (GINGER FAMILY) Vertigo
Ziziphus jujuba Mill. "Jujube" "Da Zao" (JUJUBE FAMILY) Insomnia
Bensky, D. and Barolet, R. (Compilers & translators). 1990. Chinese Herbal Medicine. Formulas
& Strategies. Eastland Press, Inc., Seattle, WA. 562 pp.
Duke, J.A. and Ayensu, E.S. 1985. Medicinal Plants of China. 2 vols. Reference Publications,
Algonac, MI 705 pp.
Foster, S. and Yue, C.-G. 1992. Herbal Emissaries - Bringing Chinese Herbs to the West.
Healing Arts Press, Rochester, VT. 356 pp.
Leung, A.Y., Chinese Herbal Remedies, Universe Books, New York, 192 pp., 1984.
Leung, A.Y. 1995. Better Health with (Mostly) Chinese Herbs & Food. AYSL Corp., Glen Rock,
NJ. 105 pp.
Leung, A.Y. And Foster, S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs,
and Cosmetics, 2nd ed. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 649 pp., 1996.
Scientific Name Common $ Per Lb. Indication
(Wholesale)
Angelica sinensis Dong Quai 8.75 Dysmenorrhea
Astragalus sp. Huang Qi 7.50 Immunodepression
Eleutherococcus senticosus Wujia 7.50 Fatigue
Ephedra sinica Ma Huang 4.50 Marcolepsy
Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo 5.50 Poor Circulation
Glycyrrhiza uralensis Licorice 3.25 Ulcers
Paeonia sp. Peony 4.00 Headache
Panax ginseng Ren Shen 79.00 Fatigue
Polygonum multiflorum Fo Ti 6.58 Fatigue
Rehmannia glutinosa Di Huang 5.92 Diabetes
Schizandra chinensis Magnolia Vine 7.89 Hepatitis
Zingiber officinale Ginger 3.75 Vertigo
Ziziphus jujuba Jujube 4.00 Insomnia
MOST FREQUENTLY SOLD CHINESE DRUGS
(MODIFIED FROM BREVOORT, HERBALGRAM, 1996)