Category Archives: Chinese Traditional Medicine

6 Amazing Health Benefits of Amur Grape – Ben Cao Medical Book

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1.1 What is a Amur grape?

The Amur grape (botanical name: Vitis amurensis, also known as Chinese wild grape; Chinese Pinyin: Shan Pu Tao, Simplified Chinese: 山葡萄), is a species of perennial, flowering, fruit-bearing liana (woody vine) in genus Vitis in the grape family, Vitaceae. The term Amur grape can refer to the plant as well as the fruit of the plant. The plant is dioecious, the flowers are small, greenish to yellow, with 5 petals. The edible fruit is round, small in size between 10-15 mm in diameter with thick black or purple skin. Native to Russia and China and found also in Japan and Korea, habitats of Amur grape include valley, stream banks, forests and hillsides (usually found from between 200 to 21,000 meters in elevation). Characteristics of Amur grape include tolerance for frost, adaptations to different growth conditions, resistance to anthracnose and ripe rot and adaptation to barren lands.

7 Amazing Health Benefits of Grapes – Ben Cao Medical Book

1. Description

1.1 What is a grape?

The grape (botanical name: Vitis vinifera, also known as common grape vine; Chinese Pinyin: Pu Tao, Simplified Chinese: 葡萄), is a species of perennial, flowering, fruit-bearing liana (woody vine) in genus Vitis in the grape family, Vitaceae. The term grape can refer to the plant as well as the fruit of the plant. The flowers are yellow, tiny in size and on an inflorescence or flower cluster. The edible fruit is a berry (a fleshy fruit without a stone produced from a single flower containing one ovary), nearly spherical or elongated, varied in size depending on the varieties and plantation conditions (wild grapes tend to be much smaller than the cultivated varieties. Native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, and extensively cultivated across the world, habitats of grape include fields, orchards, hill lands and mountainous regions (usually found from between 0 to 1,000 meters in elevation). Characteristics of grape include favorable micronutrient contents, long lifespan, adaptation to barren land and great versatility (it can be eaten fresh as fruit or can be used for producing wine, jam, juice, jelly, grape seed extract, raisins, vinegar, grape seed oil as well as medicine).

5 Amazing Health Benefits of Watermelon – Ben Cao Medical Book

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1.1 What is a watermelon?

The watermelon (botanical name: Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus; Chinese Pinyin: Xi Gua, Simplified Chinese: 西瓜, literally western melon), is a species of annual, flowering, fruit-bearing trailing vine in genus Citrullus in the cucumber family, Cucurbitaceae. The term watermelon can refer to the plant as well as the fruit of the plant. The flowers are white to yellow, 2.5 – 3 cm in diameter, with 5 petals. The edible fruit is nearly round, oval or elongated, usually big in size with some cultivated varieties exceeding 60 cm in diameter, the fruits are usually with dark green smooth skin. Native to north and west Africa and extensively cultivated in tropical or subtropical regions around the world, habitats of watermelon include mountainous regions, sandy soil, fields, orchards and flatlands (usually found from between 0 to 1,500 meters in elevation). Characteristics of watermelon include tolerance for drought and adaptations to different growth conditions.

11 Amazing Health Benefits of Muskmelon – Ben Cao Medical Book

1. Description

1.1 What is a muskmelon?

The muskmelon (botanical name: Cucumis melo, also known as sweet melon; Chinese Pinyin: Tian Gua, Simplified Chinese: 甜瓜), is a species of annual, flowering, fruit-bearing, herbaceous vine in genus Cucumis in the cucumber family, Cucurbitaceae. The term muskmelons can refer to the plant as well as the fruit of the plant. The flowers are yellow, with 5 petals. The edible fruit is spherical, ovate or squat, usually medium in size with varied smooth or rough skin (greenish, yellow or orange depending on different cultivated varieties). Native to Iran, Anatolia and the Caucasus and extensively cultivated in temperate to tropical regions around the world, habitats of muskmelon include fields, orchards, hillsides and greenhouse. Characteristics of muskmelons include ability to withstand cultivation at high altitudes, tolerance for heat and high disease resistance.

9 Amazing Health Benefits of Tea Leaves – Ben Cao Medical Book

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1.1 What are tea leaves ?

Tea leaves are the leaves and leaf buds picked from tea plant Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Ktze., a species of flowering, fruit-bearing, evergreen shrub or small tree in genus Camellia in the tea family, Theaceae. Originated in southern China, the beverage tea (often made by pouring boiling water onto the dried leaves) is the most consumed drink in the world (not to be confused with herbal teas most of which do not contain tea leaves).

4 Amazing Health Benefits of Rhus Chinensis – Ben Cao Medical Book

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1.1 What is a Rhus chinensis?

The Rhus chinensis (synonyms: Rhus javanica auct, or Rhus semialata Murray, also known as Chinese sumac or nutgall tree; Chinese Pinyin: Yan Fu Mu, Simplified Chinese: 盐肤木, is a species of deciduous, flowering, fruit-bearing economic and medical tree species in genus Rhus in the cashew or sumac family, Anacardiaceae. Rhus chinensis is plant of great versatility. Besides the roots, leaves, flowers and fruits, the plant is also grown for its galls, also known as Chinese gall, Galla Chinensis or Chinese Pinyin: Wu Bei Zi (五倍子 in Chinese), which a kind of hydrolysable tannins. The galls or cecidia are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants caused by infestation by Chinese sumac aphids (Melaphis chinensis Bell).

5 Amazing Health Benefits of Tetradium Ruticarpum – Ben Cao Medical Book

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1.1 What is a Tetradium ruticarpum?

Tetradium ruticarpum (previously called Euodia ruticarpa; Chinese Pinyin: Wu Zhu Ru, Simplified Chinese: 吴茱萸), is a species of deciduous, flowering, fruit-bearing tree in genus Tetradium in the rue family, Rutaceae. The term Tetradium ruticarpum can refer to the plant as well as the fruit of the plant. The flowers are white to light yellow, with 5 petals. The edible fruits (though a lot people may find the fruits inedible due to its strong bitter taste) are in clusters, small in size between 4-5 mm in diameter with reddish to black skin when ripe. The plant can grow up to 5 m tall. Native to China and also cultivated in Japan, habitats of Tetradium ruticarpum include mountainous regions (sun-bathed slopes preferred), open forest and shrublands (usually found from between 0 to 1,500 meters in elevation). Characteristics of Tetradium ruticarpum include adaptations to different growth conditions and great versatility.

4 Amazing Health Benefits of Litsea Mollis – Ben Cao Medical Book

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1.1 What is a Litsea mollis?

The Litsea mollis (Chinese Pinyin: Bi Cheng Qie, Simplified Chinese: 毕澄茄), is a species of deciduous, flowering, fruit-bearing shrubs or small trees in genus Litsea in the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The term Litsea mollis can refer to the plant as well as the fruit or seeds of the plant. The inedible fruit is nearly spherical, small in size, about 5 mm in diameter with dark blue skin when ripe. The plant can grow up to 10 m tall. Native to South China and also cultivated in North Thailand, habitats of Litsea mollis include hillside, alpine shrub and forest edges (usually found from between 1,000 to 2,800 meters in elevation). Characteristics of Litsea mollis include deep roots, adaptations to different growth conditions and ability to withstand cultivation at high altitudes.

7 Amazing Health Benefits of Black Pepper – Ben Cao Medical Book

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1.1 What is a black pepper?

The black pepper, botanical name: Piper nigrum, also known as pepper (cooked and dried unripe fruit), green pepper (dried unripe fruit) and white pepper (ripe fruit seeds); Chinese Pinyin: Hu Jiao, Simplified Chinese: 胡椒, is a species of slow-growing, perennial, liana (woody vine), flowering plant in genus Piper in the pepper family, Piperaceae. The term black pepper can refer to the plant as well as the fruits or seeds of the plant. The flowers are small, produced on pendulous spikes 4 to 8 centimetres (1.6 to 3.1 in) long at the leaf nodes, the spikes lengthening up to 7 to 15 centimetres (2.8 to 5.9 in) as the fruit matures. The edible fruit is a drupe (or stone fruit), nearly spherical, small in size between 3-4 mm in diameter with red skin when completely mature. Native to Southeast Asia and extensively cultivated in tropical regions, habitats of black pepper include closed forests, fields, hillsides and village sides (usually found from between 800 to 1500 meters in elevation). Characteristics of black pepper include tolerance for heat, cold, drought, wind and ability to withstand cultivation at high altitudes.

7 Amazing Health Benefits of Sichuan Pepper – Ben Cao Medical Book

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1.1 What is a Sichuan pepper?

The Sichuan pepper (botanical name: Zanthoxylum simulans, also known as Sichuan peppercorn, Chinese coriander, Chinese-pepper, Chinese prickly-ash or flatspine prickly-ash; Chinese Pinyin: Hua Jiao, Simplified Chinese: 花椒), is a species of deciduous, flowering, fruit-bearing, spreading shrub or small tree in genus Zanthoxylum in the rue family, Rutaceae. The term Sichuan pepper can refer to the plant as well as the seed husk of the plant. The flowers are occuring in slender cymes, each flower about 4–5 mm diameter. The 3–4 mm berry has a rough reddish brown husk that splits open to release the black seeds from inside. The plant can grow up to 7 m tall. Native to China, habitats of Sichuan pepper include flatlands and mountainous regions (usually found from between 1,000 to 2,500 meters in elevation). Characteristics of Sichuan pepper include tolerance for drought and cold.