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Di Jin Cao (Herba Sparganii), grows in the fields of Chuzhou and nearby regions. Its taste is pungent, non-toxic; it primarily promotes the free flow of blood vessels and also treats Qi stagnation.
Its stems and leaves are slender and weak, spreading like vines across the ground; the stems are red, the leaves are greenish-red, and it thrives in mid-summer; it blooms with red flowers in June and bears fruit. Current physicians use its seedlings and seeds. In the annotation for the Luo Shi (Periploca Seed) entry in *Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing* (Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), there is a mention of "Di Jin," which shares the same name but belongs to a different plant category.

Fu Ling (Poria), grows in the valleys of Mount Tai; currently found on Mount Tai, Mount Hua, and Mount Song. It emerges from large pine trees, growing attached to the roots, without stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits. It forms clumps at the bottom of the soil, resembling fists, with larger ones weighing several jin; those resembling human or turtle shapes are considered superior. The skin is black, and the flesh comes in two colors: red and white. Some say it is formed from pine resin that has flowed into the soil over many years; others claim it generates by borrowing Qi from the pine roots. The current method of collection in the eastern regions is as follows: For ancient pines in the mountains that have been long felled by humans, if their broken branches no longer grow upward, they are called "Fu Ling Bo" (Fu Ling Poles). Upon seeing such a pole, one uses an iron-tipped cone to pierce the ground within a radius of about one zhang; if Fu Ling is present, the cone will be firmly stuck and difficult to pull out, at which point the soil is dug up to retrieve it. The larger the "Bo," the larger the Fu Ling. They form independent clumps and do not attach directly to the roots. Those that embrace the roots and are light and spongy are called Fu Shen (Poria with Hostwood). Thus, the theory that it generates by borrowing Qi seems more plausible. Collected in February and August, dried in the shade, is best. *Records of the Grand Historian: Divination by Tortoise Shells* states: "Fu Ling grows under Cuscuta chinensis (Dodder), shaped like a flying bird." After fresh rain, when the weather is clear and windless, burn the Dodder at night, cover the spot with a bamboo cage (Guo, meaning cage, likely involving fire underneath), mark the location once the fire extinguishes, surround it with a new cloth four zhang wide, and dig after dawn; digging four to seven chi deep will yield it. This method is no longer heard of today. Alchemical formulas often recommend taking it alone. The method is: Take five jin of Bai Fu Ling (White Poria), remove the black skin, pound and sieve it, place it in a fine silk bag, and steam it over two dou of rice until the rice is cooked, then stop. Dry it in the sun and steam again, repeating this three times. Then mix with two dou of cow's milk, place in a copper vessel, and simmer over low heat until it becomes a paste. Store it. When eating, cut off a piece with a bamboo knife and take as much as desired to satisfy hunger. If one wishes to eat solid food, first drink boiled juice from Malva verticillata (Kui Cai); eating freely afterwards causes no harm. Another method for Fu Ling Su (Poria Butter): Take thirty jin of Bai Fu Ling; that from the sunny side of the mountain is sweet and delicious, while that from the shady side is bitter. Peel, slice thinly, dry, and steam. Rinse with hot water to remove bitterness; if rinsing continues, the liquid should become sweet. Dry and powder it. Mix with three shi of wine and three sheng of honey, add the powder, place in a large urn, stir one hundred times, seal tightly to prevent gas leakage. In winter, wait fifty days; in summer, twenty-five days, until the butter naturally rises to the surface of the wine. Skim it off; the taste is extremely sweet. Form into cakes the size of a palm, dry in the shade in an empty room until reddish-brown like dates. Eat one cake when hungry, washed down with wine; one remains full for the whole day without needing further food. This is called the "Immortal's Method of Crossing the World." Another consumption method: Combine with White Chrysanthemum, or Gui Xin (Cinnamon Twig Heart), or Bai Zhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome), forming pills or powders as preferred; all can be taken regularly for significant tonifying benefits. Some say Fu Ling contains red fibrous veins that can severely damage vision. If taken long-term, one must first pound it into powder, wash it in water through sedimentation, remove all red impurities, before consumption. If combined with other herbs, this step is unnecessary. Any prescription containing Fu Ling must avoid rice vinegar. Old theories state that Hu Po (Amber) is transformed from thousand-year-old Fu Ling, also known as Jiang Zhu. Zhang Maoxian stated: Currently, Yongchang in Yizhou produces Amber but no Fu Ling. He also said Amber is made from burned bee hives. Zhang could not verify these three theories. According to *Nan Man Di Zhi* (Geography of the Southern Barbarians): Lin Yi produces much Amber, said to be transformed from pine resin or maple resin. The locals there are unaware of its origin. Where Amber exists underground, no vegetation grows nearby; shallow deposits are five chi deep, deep ones eight or nine chi. Large pieces resemble hu (a unit of volume); after peeling, they initially resemble peach gum, hardening over time. Locals use them as pillows. Since ancient tradition holds it to be a pine derivative, it is appended here under Fu Ling.