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(Compendium of Materia Medica)

[Names] Li Shizhen said: Carrots were introduced from Hu lands during the Yuan Dynasty. Their flavor is slightly similar to radishes, hence the name.

[Collected Explanations] Li Shizhen said: Currently, they are widely cultivated in northern regions and Shandong, and also grown in the Huai and Chu areas. Seeds are sown in August. The seedlings resemble Artemisia selengensis (Xie Hao), with fleshy stems covered in white hairs. They have a pungent, mugwort-like odor and are inedible. In winter, the roots are dug up; they can be eaten raw or cooked, serving both as fruit and vegetable. There are two varieties of roots: yellow and red, with a slight mugwort aroma. They are five to six cun long, with larger ones filling a hand grasp. Their shape resembles freshly dug Rehmanniae Radix (Dihuang) and Rumex japonicus (Yangti) roots. In March and April, the stems grow two to three chi high, producing clusters of small white flowers resembling an umbel, similar to Cnidii Fructus (Shechuangzi). The seeds are also like Cnidii Fructus, slightly longer and hairy, brownish, resembling Anethi Fructus (Shiluozuo), and can be used to season food. Note: Zhou Dingwang's *Jiu Huang Ben Cao* states that wild carrots' seedlings, leaves, flowers, and fruits are identical to domestic carrots, but the roots are smaller and sweet, suitable for both raw and steamed consumption. The flowers and seeds are larger than those of Cnidii Fructus. Additionally, Jin Youzi's *Be Zheng Lu* mentions "sand radishes" north of the Jiao River, with roots about two chi long and one cun in diameter at the thickest part, with smaller lateral roots like chopsticks. They are yellowish-white, pungent and slightly bitter, resembling radishes. These all belong to the carrot category.

Roots
[Flavor and Toxicity] Sweet, pungent, slightly warm, non-toxic.
[Indications] Directs qi downward, tonifies the middle jiao, benefits the chest, diaphragm, stomach, and intestines, calms the five zang organs, promotes healthy appetite, and is beneficial without harm (Li Shizhen).

Seeds
[Indications] Chronic dysentery (Li Shizhen).

(Pronounced Qin. Lower Grade in *Shennong Ben Cao Jing*)

[Names] Celery (*Mingyi Bielu*), Water Ying (*Shennong Ben Cao Jing*), Chu Kui.
Tao Hongjing said: The character is commonly written as Qin. Judging by its therapeutic effects, it should be in the Upper Grade; it is unclear why it is in the Lower Grade. When tender shoots appear in February and March, they can be pickled or boiled and eaten. Hence the name Water Ying.
Li Shizhen said: It should be written with the grass radical and phonetic component, forming a phono-semantic compound. Later abbreviated to Qin, with the axe radical (jin), also a phono-semantic compound. Its nature is cold and slippery like Brassica pekinensis (Kui), so *Erya* calls it Chu Kui. *Lüshi Chunqiu* states: "Among vegetables, the finest are the celery from Yunmeng." Yunmeng is in the Chu region. Chu has Qizhou and Qixian, both pronounced Qi. Luo Yuan's *Erya Yi* says: Since the land produces much celery, the character derives from Qin. Qi is also pronounced Qin. Xu Kai's annotation on *Shuowen Jiezi* for the character Qi indicates it has the grass radical and phonetic component. No other books contain this specific character; only *Shuowen Jiezi* lists it separately (pronounced Yin), suspected to be a transmission error. Based on this, the character Qi should also derive from the same component.

[Collected Explanations] *Mingyi Bielu* states: Water celery grows in ponds and marshes in the South Sea.
Su Gong said: Water celery is celery. There are two types: Di Qin (white root harvested), Chi Qin (stems and leaves harvested). Both can be made into pickles or eaten as raw vegetables.
Bao Sheng said: Celery grows in water, leaves resemble Ligusticum sinense (Xiongqiong), flowers are white and produce no seeds, roots are also white.
Meng Shen said: Water celery grows in dark, slippery soil. It is less suitable for consumption than that from high fields, though it becomes fragrant and delicious when placed in wine or sauce. That from high fields is called Bai Qin. Those from other fields harbor invisible insects in the leaves; consuming them causes harm.
Tao Hongjing said: There is also Zha Qin, which can be eaten as a raw salad or fresh.
Li Shizhen said: There is water celery and dry land celery. Water celery grows near lakes, rivers, and marshes; dry land celery grows in flatlands, with red and white varieties. Seedlings emerge in February, leaves grow opposite each other on nodes, resembling Ligusticum sinense (Xiongqiong). Stems have ridges and are hollow, with a fragrant aroma. Small white flowers bloom in May, resembling Cnidii Fructus. People in Chu harvest it to alleviate famine, providing significant benefit. The *Classic of Poetry* says: "Boiling springs flow, gathering its celery." Du Fu wrote: "Celery cooked at the bottom of Qingni Fang." And again: "Celery soup from green streams." All praise the merits of celery. Liezi mentions a country gentleman who tasted celery and suffered mouth irritation and abdominal pain, likely due to improper preparation methods.

Stems
[Flavor and Toxicity] Sweet, neutral, non-toxic.
Sun Simiao said: Bitter, sour, cold, astringent, non-toxic.
Meng Shen said: Consumed with vinegar, it damages teeth. Contraindicated for patients with Abdominal Masses (Bie Jia).
Li Pengfei said: Red celery is harmful and should not be eaten.
[Indications] Treats leukorrhea in women, stops bleeding, nourishes essence, preserves blood vessels, tonifies qi, promotes robustness and appetite (*Shennong Ben Cao Jing*). Clears latent heat, detoxifies mineral medicines, taken as juice (Meng Shen). Drinking the juice treats sudden fever in children, post-alcohol fever in adults, nasal congestion with body heat, wind-heat in the head, benefits teeth and gums, and unites the large and small intestines (Zangqi).
Treats irritability and thirst, metrorrhagia and leukorrhea, and five types of jaundice (Da Ming).
[Elucidation] Zhang Zhongjing said: In spring and autumn, dragons deposit essence into celery. If people accidentally eat it, they develop symptoms: blue face and hands, abdominal distension resembling pregnancy, unbearable pain, termed Dragon-Jiao disease. One should consume hard malt sugar, two to three sheng, three times daily. Vomiting something resembling a lizard leads to recovery.
Li Shizhen said: Celery grows near water. Although dragons are said to change unpredictably, how could their essence enter here? It is mostly lizards or venomous snakes that deposit essence here during the transition between spring and summer. Moreover, snakes are fond of celery, which further proves this. See Ma Qin mentioned later.
[Attached Prescriptions] One old, two new.
Infant vomiting and diarrhea: Cut celery finely, boil to make juice, drink as needed (*Zimu Milu*).
Dysuria with pain: Use white roots of water celery, remove leaves, crush to extract juice, mix with well water and take (*Shenghui Fang*).
Hematuria: Crush water celery to extract juice, take six to seven he per day (*Shenghui Fang*).

Flowers
[Flavor and Toxicity] Bitter, cold, non-toxic.
[Indications] Vascular hemorrhage (Su Gong).