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[Spinach]
Sweet, cold, and slippery in nature; non-toxic.
Invention: All vegetables can unblock and promote the movement of the intestines and stomach, but spinach is particularly cold and slippery. Excessive consumption leads to weakness in the legs, induces lower back pain, and stirs up internal cold qi. Consuming it with fish causes Huoluan (cholera-like syndrome). Its juice, when refined into frost, can suppress the toxicity of arsenic trioxide (Pifei) and mercury. It can also neutralize the toxicity of realgar (Cihuang) and sulfur.

[Pondweed / Water Spinach]
Sweet, neutral in nature; non-toxic.
Invention: Pondweed is dry and tender like vines, hollow in the center, and takes root at every node when laid horizontally on the ground. It is a unique vegetable of the southern regions. It specifically detoxifies Wild Kadsura (Yege). Crushing it fresh and taking it orally is especially effective. Crushed juice mixed with wine treats difficult labor. Dripping its juice onto Wild Kadsura seedlings causes them to wither immediately, demonstrating such mutual inhibition between them.

[Crown Daisy]
Sweet, warm in nature; non-toxic.
Invention: Crown Daisy has a turbid odor and can assist Ministerial Fire (Xianghuo). Yuxi stated that excessive consumption stirs wind; its warming vapor affects the heart, causing a sensation of fullness of qi. The *Qianjin Fang* states it calms the heart qi, nourishes the spleen and stomach, resolves phlegm-fluids, and benefits the intestines and stomach; this refers to individuals with inherent deficiency of fire (yang deficiency). If kidney qi is naturally robust, consuming it may lead to adverse effects of assisting fire.

[Shepherd's Purse]
Acrid, slightly warm in nature; non-toxic.
*Shennong Bencao Jing*: Brightens the eyes, treats eye pain and tearing, removes bi-syndrome, tonifies the five zang organs, and enhances visual clarity.
Invention: Xiying is the larger, hairy variety of Shepherd's Purse, with properties not significantly different from common Shepherd's Purse. Its seeds are specifically used for brightening the eyes. The *Qianjin Fang* uses them in formulas for dim vision and removing nebulae. It also treats fleshy growths in the eyes; crushed and sifted into powder, applied nightly to the eyes, the membrane will eventually fall off over time. Zhenquan claimed Shepherd's Purse treats Qingmang (blindness due to organ deficiency) and inability to see objects, tonifying deficiencies of the five zang organs. The properties of both types of Shepherd's Purse generally do not exceed the indications in the *Bencao Jing*.

[Amaranth]
Sweet, cold, and purgative in nature; non-toxic.
*Shennong Bencao Jing*: Primarily treats Qingmang to brighten the eyes, removes pathogenic factors, promotes urination and defecation, and eliminates chills and fever.
Invention: Li Shizhen stated: Amaranth seeds remove Qingmang and white nebulae. They belong to the same category as Celosia seeds but are different species, hence their efficacy in treating eye diseases is similar. The *Taiping Shenghui Fang* uses Amaranth seeds to treat difficulty in urination and defecation, which falls within the scope of the *Bencao Jing*'s indications.

[Purslane]
Sour, cold in nature; non-toxic. Su Gong described it as acrid and warm, referring to the red variety of Amaranth.
Invention: Purslane's function is specifically to dissipate blood stasis and reduce swelling, thus treating hemangiomas and chronic malignant sores. Applying crushed paste externally heals them in two or three applications. It resolves toxins from horse sweat and "She Gong" (a mythical toxic creature/poison), curing upon application. Burned to ash and mixed with comb grease to seal carbuncles; after moxibustion and sealing, the root emerges. It must not be consumed with turtle meat, as it causes Biejia (abdominal masses resembling turtles).