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[Euonymi Fructus (Nv Zhen Shi)]
Taste: bitter, sweet. Nature: neutral. Toxicity: non-toxic. Indications: primarily tonifies the Middle Jiao (Middle Burner), calms the Five Viscera (Zang-Fu organs), nourishes the Spirit (Shen), eliminates various diseases. Long-term consumption leads to a robust and healthy physique, lightness of body, and anti-aging effects. Habitat: grows in valleys of Wuling. Harvest time: collected at Lidong (Start of Winter).
The leaves are lush and do not wither through winter; the bark is green and the inner wood is white, forming a exterior-interior relationship with Qianpi (Cortex Fraxini). The tree is cherished for its evergreen nature in winter and is found occasionally everywhere. It is also recorded in "Xian Jing" (Scriptures of Immortals) for ingestion, but secular prescriptions no longer use it, and market vendors cannot identify it.
[Commentary]: The leaves of Nv Zhen resemble those of Gou Gu (Ilex cornuta) and Dong Qing (Ilex chinensis). Its fruit ripens black in September and resembles Niu Li Zi (Prunus buergeriana). Tao Hongjing's statement that it forms an exterior-interior relationship with Qin Pi is erroneous. However, Qin Pi has fine leaves that wither in winter, whereas Nv Zhen has large leaves that remain lush in winter; they are certainly not of the same category.

[Mistletoe on Mulberry Tree (Sang Shang Ji Sheng)]
Taste: bitter, sweet. Nature: neutral. Toxicity: non-toxic. Indications: primarily treats lower back pain, stiffness of the back in children, carbuncles and sores, calms the fetus, enriches the skin and flesh, strengthens hair and teeth, promotes growth of beard and eyebrows. Treats metallic wounds, removes Bi syndrome (painful obstruction), metrorrhagia (profuse uterine bleeding) in women, deficiency due to internal injury, residual diseases after childbirth, and promotes lactation. Its fruit brightens the eyes, lightens the body, and enhances spiritual clarity. Aliases: Ji Xie, Yu Mu, Wan Tong, Ge. Habitat: grows on mulberry trees in the valleys of Hongnong. Harvest time: stems and leaves collected on the third day of the third lunar month, dried in shade.
Those growing on mulberry trees are called Sang Shang Ji Sheng. Poets mention "applied to pine trees"; medical practitioners also use mistletoe from poplar or maple trees, naming them according to the host tree. Their general appearance is similar, differing only in the site of root attachment. They typically grow among branches, with roots embedded within branch nodes. Leaves are round, greenish-red, thick, lustrous, and easily broken. Flowers are white in the fourth lunar month; fruits are red in the fifth lunar month, size like small beans. Now available everywhere, those from Pengcheng are considered superior. Laypeople mistakenly use it as Xu Duan (Radix Dipsaci). According to "Ben Jing" (Classic of Materia Medica), Xu Duan is listed separately in the Superior Category, with different indications. How can they be the same substance? Market confusion prevents accurate identification. Dietary therapy texts describe it as Sang Ji Sheng, which differs from this description.
[Commentary]: Mistletoe grows on oak, zelkova, willow, water willow, and maple trees. The seeds are yellow, size like small dates. Only Guo Zhou produces those growing on mulberry trees. The seed juice is very sticky; the core is size like a small bean. Leaves have no distinct yin-yang differentiation, resembling fine willow leaves but thicker; stems are thick and short. People in Jiangnan traditionally use it as Xu Duan, which is completely unrelated. Furthermore, Mistletoe fruits ripen in September and are yellow. The claim that fruits are red in May and size like small beans refers to something Tao Hongjing had not seen.