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Tao Hongjing stated: "It is no longer used in prescriptions, and it is unrecognized by the common people." The annotations of *Shennong Bencao Jing* (*Divine Farmer's Materia Medica*) and various schools do not correspond. If this were indeed Malin (Iris lactea), then *Rihuaizi Zhu Jia Bencao* (Materia Medica by Various Authors of the Rihuaizi Period) should not have stated that it could also be eaten as a vegetable. It is likely that the leaves of Malin are not eaten by horses or cattle; they become hard as soon as they emerge from the soil, and moreover, they have no taste. How could they be fit for human consumption? I dare not currently identify Lishi (Litchi Seed / Semen Litchi) as Malinzi (Seeds of Iris lactea); I await verification by those with broad knowledge.

Shixiang (Stone Fragrance, here referring to a variety or alias of Eupatorium fortunei) is found everywhere; it does not necessarily grow in rock crevices in mountains, but may be found where mountains meet water and cliffs. Flowers may still be present in September and October.

Among all herbs, only this one disregards ice and snow, being the first to greet spring; the world also calls it "Zuandong" (Drilling Through Ice). Even when covered by ice and snow, it sprouts when the time comes. In spring, people may harvest it to substitute for vegetables; for medicinal use, those just showing flower buds are best. If they have already bloomed and are fragrant, they lack efficacy. Nowadays, people often use specimens the size of chopstick tips, which likely have not yet flowered. Someone suffered from coughing for many days; someone advised burning three pieces of Kuandonghua (Flos Tussilaginis) in a windless place, inhaling the smoke through a brush tube until the mouth was full, and then swallowing it. It proved effective after several days.

The upper skin of its root is used medicinally. The flowers can also be crimson, such as those found in Qianxi, Xiluo. There are also deep green varieties in the current imperial garden. Those with single leaves and red flowers found in the mountains are the finest; domesticated ones are secondary. Those propagated by grafting branches are unusable because excessive flowers and leaves drain the vital energy of the roots. How do we know this? In the case of double-petaled peonies, if too many flowers are retained in early spring, the flowering branches and leaves will be weak the following year, often failing to bloom properly. Merchants sometimes sell branch stems and bark, which differs significantly [from the authentic herb].

It is also known as Baiyuan (White Gardenia/Liriope). Some consider it to be two different substances, which is incorrect. The Tang Dynasty revision appropriately removed the entry for Baiyuan. Tao Hongjing could name it but could not describe its physical characteristics. What I state from the classics is very clear; I now directly quote the classic text.

According to the *Supplemental Notes* of *Xinxiu Bencao*: "The leaves resemble those of Lan (Orchid)." Today's Lan leaves resemble those of Maidong (Ophiopogon japonicus), slightly wider and longer, reaching one or two chi in height without branches, bearing no resemblance to Zelan (Eupatorium fortunei). Zelan begins branching as soon as it emerges from the soil; its leaves resemble those of Chrysanthemum, but are pointed and elongated. If one smells them for fragrance, there is some similarity. Since it is called Zelan and is said to grow beside the great marshes of Runan, its species is originally distinct. The assertion that it resembles Lan is erroneous.