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Flavor pungent, nature warm and neutral, non-toxic. Resembles Artemisia annua (Sweet Wormwood) in appearance, with a fine and soft texture. Primarily treats foul rotting and evil pathogenic qi in the chest and diaphragm; promotes the free flow of the intestines and stomach, unblocks blood vessels, and replenishes deficient qi. Consumed raw, it slightly stirs up wind-qi; prepared as a soup, it is beneficial. It should not be eaten together with Coriandrum sativum (Cilantro), as this combination causes sweaty body odor.

*Shiyi Xinjing* (Mirror of the Food Doctor) records: Treats loss of appetite caused by evil pathogenic qi in the five zang organs; treats disorders of the spleen, stomach, and intestines, excessive thirst with internal heat, and sudden onset of malignant sores. Boil until cooked thoroughly, and consume mixed with soy sauce and vinegar.

Nature neutral. Primarily calms heart qi, nourishes the spleen and stomach, and resolves fluid retention. However, it also stirs up wind-qi, disturbs the mind, causes a sensation of fullness of qi, and should not be consumed in excess.

Flavor pungent, nature warm, slightly toxic. Regulates the middle jiao, aids digestion, eliminates noxious qi, and resolves damp-fluid accumulation; suitable for raw consumption. It also treats rotting sores at the tooth roots; when burned to ash, it is highly effective. Do not consume in excess, as it may obstruct the joints, stagnate Ying and Wei (nutritive and defensive qi), and impede blood circulation. It can also stir up wind-qi and trigger podagra (gouty arthritis of the foot). For such conditions, take half he (a traditional unit of volume) of the juice to settle the symptoms. In winter, use dried material boiled in water. The seeds treat leukoma (corneal opacity) and foreign bodies entering the eye; placing three to five seeds in the eye causes moisture and swelling shortly thereafter, expelling the foreign body along with secretions. It also treats wind-heat-induced red eyes and excessive discharge/tearing. The root treats yellow, weeping sores in children; burned to ash and applied topically, it is excellent. Northerners call it Lanxiang (Basil/Litsea), named to avoid the taboo of Shi Le's name.

There are three varieties: one suitable as a raw salad vegetable; one with larger leaves; one fragrant within twenty paces; and one whose leaves resemble those of Perilla frutescens (Perilla).

Tao Hongjing records: Herbalists burn sheep horns and horse hooves to ash, scatter them on wet ground, and trample over them repeatedly, which causes Ocimum basilicum (Basil) to grow. Commonly known as "Vegetable of the Queen Mother of the West," consuming it benefits the human body. *Waitai Miyao* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies) records a formula for removing facial scars: Magnolia biondii bark (Mulan Xiang) one jin, soaked in rice vinegar aged three years until submerged; after one hundred days, remove, dry in the sun, and grind into powder. Take one fangcun bi (a square-inch measure) per dose.

Nature cold, non-toxic. Unblocks nasal qi, benefits the nine orifices, and expectorates wind-phlegm. Not suitable for dietary consumption, but can also remove leukoma; when cooked, kneaded, and inserted into the nose, the leukoma naturally falls off. Commonly known as Centipeda minima (Goose-Not-Eating Grass). The above five types (newly supplemented) are found in the works of Meng Shen, Chen Cangqi, Xiao Bing, Chen Shiliang, and Ri Huazi.