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Lugen (Reed Rhizome), the ancient materia medica did not record its place of origin; it is now found everywhere, growing in low and damp marshes. Its appearance resembles bamboo, but the leaves embrace the stem and grow without branches; the flowers are white and spike-like, resembling those of cogon grass; the rhizome also resembles that of bamboo but with sparse nodes; it is harvested in February and August and dried in the sun for use. One should extract the sweet and pungent rhizomes from the bottom of the water. Those exposed to air or floating on the surface are unsuitable for use.

According to the "Erya" (Classic of Names), Lugen is referred to as "Jiahua". Guo Pu stated: "Lu and Wei." Wei refers to mature Lu. The term "Jian" (homophonous with Lian) describes a plant similar to "Huan" (pronounced Huan) but slender and tall, reaching several chi in height; people in the Jiangdong region call it "Di" (synonymous with Di). The term "Di" (pronounced 'ta gan qie') refers to "Xian" (pronounced 'wu huan qie'). "Xian" resembles Wei but is smaller and solid inside; people in the Jiangdong region call it "Wu". The plant pronounced "Qiu" is sometimes called Di; when Di hardens and matures in autumn, it is called "Huan". Their flowers are all named "Tiao" (pronounced 'tu diao qie'), and their sprouts/shoots are all named "Juan" (pronounced 'quan'). Thus, what is commonly referred to as Lu and Wei is essentially one species. What is called "Jian" corresponds to the character "Jian" used today. What is called "Di" is used by people as firewood for cooking. Nowadays, few people can distinguish between Jian and Lu/Wei. Furthermore, people in the North consider Wei and Lu as two different things: plants growing in wet areas near water are all called Wei; among them, those thin as a finger and planted in household ponds or gardens are called Lu. Among these, those with slightly thicker stems and deep green color are called "Bi Lu," which are also rare. Therefore, the Lu used in the Materia Medica, which is currently called Wei in the North, can be used interchangeably. Ancient prescriptions often used it alone. Ge Hong treated vomiting and hiccup by slicing the root, boiling it in water, and taking one sheng in one dose. The "Bixiao Fang" (Effective Formula Book) prescribed boiling it with urine from an uncircumcised boy and taking no more than three sheng to achieve recovery. The downy parts of the reed head treat sudden cases of cholera with critical breathing difficulties; take one handful, boil into a concentrated decoction, and take two sheng in one dose to recover. It also treats poisoning from fish and crabs, which yields excellent results. The shoots have a slightly bitter taste and are edible. The preparation method is similar to bamboo shoots, but they are extremely cold in nature.