（《吴普本草》）
【释名】 菜（《拾遗》）、四叶菜（《卮言》）、田字草。
时珍曰∶苹，本作 。《左传》∶苹蘩蕴藻之菜，可荐于鬼神，可羞于王公。则 有宾之
之义，故字从宾。其草四叶相合，中折十字，故俗呼为四叶菜、田字草、破铜钱，皆象形也。
诸家本草皆以苹注水萍，盖由苹、萍二字，音相近也。按韵书∶苹在真韵，蒲真切；萍在庚
韵，蒲经切。切脚不同，为物亦异。今依《吴普本草》别出于此。
【集解】普曰∶水萍，一名水廉，生池泽水上。叶圆小，一茎一叶，根入水底，五月花
白。三月采，日干之。
弘景曰∶水中大萍，五月有花白色，非沟渠所生之萍。楚王渡江所得，即斯实也。
恭曰∶萍有三种∶大者名苹，中者名荇，叶皆相似而圆；其小者，即水上浮萍也。
藏器曰∶苹叶圆，阔寸许。叶下有一点，如水沫。一名 菜。曝干可入药用。小萍是沟
渠间者。
禹锡曰按∶《尔雅》云∶萍， 也。其大者曰苹。又《诗》云∶于以采苹，于涧之滨。
陆玑注云∶其粗大者谓之苹，小者为萍。季春始生。可糁蒸为茹，又可以苦酒淹之按酒。
今医家少用此苹，惟用小萍耳。
时珍曰∶苹，乃四叶菜也。叶浮水面，根连水底。其茎细于 、荇。其叶大如指顶，面
青背紫，有细纹，颇似马蹄决明之叶，四叶合成，中折十字。夏秋开小白花，故称白苹。其
叶攒簇如萍，故《尔雅》谓大者为苹也。《吕氏春秋》云∶菜之美者，有昆仑之苹。即此。
《韩诗外传》谓浮者为 ，沉者为苹。 仙谓∶白花者为苹，黄花者为荇，即金莲也。苏恭
谓大者为苹，小者为荇。杨慎《卮言》谓四叶菜为荇。陶弘景谓楚王所得者为苹。皆无一定
之言。盖未深加体审，惟据纸上猜度而已。时珍一一采视，颇得其真云。其叶径一、二寸，
有一缺而形圆如马蹄者， 也。似 而稍尖长者，荇也。其花并有黄白二色。叶径四、五寸
如小荷叶而黄花，结实如小角黍者，萍蓬草也。楚王所得萍实，乃此萍之实也。四叶合成一
叶，如田字形者，苹也。如此分别，自然明白。又项氏言∶白苹生水中，青苹生陆地。按今
之田字草，有水、陆二种。陆生者多在稻田沮洳之处，其叶四片合一，与白苹一样。但茎生
地上，高三、四寸，不可食。方士取以 硫结砂煮汞，谓之水田翁。项氏所谓青苹，盖即此
也。或以青苹为水草，误矣。
【气味】甘，寒，滑，无毒。
【主治】暴热，下水气，利小便（《吴普》）。捣涂热疮。捣汁饮，治蛇伤毒入腹内。曝
干，栝蒌等分为末，人乳和丸服，止消渴（藏器）。食之已劳（《山海经》）。
（出自《吴普本草》）
【释名】 菜（出自《拾遗》）、四叶菜（出自《卮言》）、田字草。
李时珍说：苹，原本写作“𦰩”。《左传》记载：“苹、蘩、蕴藻这类蔬菜，可以用来祭祀鬼神，也可以进献给王公贵族。”那么“𦰩”有宾客的含义，所以字形从“宾”。这种草的叶子四片相合，中间折断呈十字形，所以俗称为四叶菜、田字草、破铜钱，都是取象于形状。各家本草都将“苹”注释为水萍，大概是因为“苹”和“萍”两个字读音相近的缘故。查阅韵书：“苹”在真韵，蒲真切；“萍”在庚韵，蒲经切。反切注音不同，所指的物类也不同。现在依据《吴普本草》，将其单独列在此处。
【集解】吴普说：水萍，又名水廉，生长在池塘沼泽的水面上。叶子圆而小，一茎一叶，根扎入水底，五月开白花。三月采收，晒干备用。
陶弘景说：水中较大的萍，五月开白色花，不是沟渠里生长的萍。楚王渡江时所得到的，就是这种实物。
苏恭说：萍有三种：大的叫苹，中的叫荇，叶子都相似且圆形；小的那种，就是水面上的浮萍。
藏器说：苹的叶子圆形，宽约一寸左右。叶下有一点，像水沫一样。又名𦰩菜。晒干后可入药使用。小萍是生长在沟渠里的。
禹锡按语：《尔雅》说：“萍，𦰩也。”其中大的叫苹。又《诗经》说：“在哪里采苹？在涧水边。”陆玑注解说：粗大的叫做苹，小的叫做萍。季春时节开始生长。可以拌粉蒸食作为菜肴，也可以用苦酒浸泡食用。现在的医家很少用这种苹，只用小萍罢了。
李时珍说：苹，就是四叶菜。叶子漂浮在水面，根连接水底。它的茎比𦰩、荇更细。叶子大如手指顶端，正面青色背面紫色，有细纹，很像马蹄决明的叶子，四片合成一片，中间折成十字形。夏秋季节开小白花，所以称为白苹。它的叶子聚簇像萍，所以《尔雅》称大的为苹。《吕氏春秋》说：“美味的蔬菜中，有昆仑山的苹。”指的就是这种。《韩诗外传》说浮在水面的是𦰩，沉在水底的是苹。薛仙说：开白花的是苹，开黄花的是荇，也就是金莲。苏恭说：大的是苹，小的是荇。杨慎《卮言》说四叶菜是荇。陶弘景说楚王得到的是苹。都没有确定的说法。大概是没有深入观察审视，只是根据纸面文字猜测而已。我李时珍一一采集观察，颇得其真实情况。其叶子直径一至二寸，有一个缺口且形状圆润如马蹄的，是𦰩。类似𦰩但稍尖长的，是荇。它们的花都有黄白两种颜色。叶子直径四至五寸像小荷叶且开黄花，结成果实像小角黍的，是萍蓬草。楚王得到的萍实，就是这种萍的果实。四片合成一片，如田字形的，是苹。这样区分，自然明白。另外项氏说：白苹生长在水中，青苹生长在陆地。按现在的田字草，有水生和陆生两种。陆生的多在稻田潮湿之处，其叶子四片合一，与白苹一样。但茎长在地上，高三四寸，不可食用。方士用它来煅烧硫磺、凝结砂、煮汞，称之为水田翁。项氏所说的青苹，大概就是这个。有人把青苹当作水草，就错了。
【气味】甘味，寒性，滑利，无毒。
【主治】突发高热，下行水气，通利小便（出自《吴普》）。捣碎外涂治疗热疮。榨汁饮用，治疗蛇毒进入腹内。晒干后，与栝蒌等分为末，用人乳调和成丸服用，可止消渴症（出自藏器）。食用它可以治愈劳损（出自《山海经》）。
(From *Wu Pu Bencao*)
[Names] Cai (from *Shiyi*), Siye Cai (Four-Leaf Vegetable, from *Zhiyan*), Tianzi Cao (Field-Character Grass).
Li Shizhen states: "Ping" was originally written as "𦰩". The *Zuo Zhuan* records: "Vegetables such as ping, fan, yun, and zao can be offered to spirits and gods, and presented to kings and nobles." Thus, "𦰩" carries the meaning of a guest, hence the character includes the component "bin" (guest). This plant has four leaves that join together, forming a cross shape when broken in the middle; therefore, it is commonly called Siye Cai (Four-Leaf Vegetable), Tianzi Cao (Field-Character Grass), or P Tongqian (Broken Copper Coin), all names derived from its shape. Various pharmacopoeias have annotated "ping" as water duckweed, likely due to the phonetic similarity between the characters "ping" (苹) and "ping" (萍). According to rhyme books: "Ping" (苹) belongs to the Zhen rhyme, pronounced with the initial 'pu' and final 'zhen'; "Ping" (萍) belongs to the Geng rhyme, pronounced with the initial 'pu' and final 'jing'. Since the fanqie (reverse spelling) pronunciation differs, they refer to different substances. Following *Wu Pu Bencao*, this entry is listed separately here.
[Collected Explanations] Wu Pu says: Water duckweed, also known as Shuilian, grows on the surface of ponds and marshes. The leaves are small and round, one leaf per stem, with roots penetrating the bottom. It flowers white in May. Harvested in March and dried in the sun.
Tao Hongjing says: The large duckweed found in water bodies flowers white in May; it is not the duckweed found in ditches and canals. The specimen obtained by the King of Chu while crossing the river is indeed this type.
Su Gong says: There are three types of duckweed: the large one is called Ping (苹), the medium one is called Xing (荇); their leaves are similar and round. The smallest is the floating duckweed on the water surface.
Zang Qi says: The leaves of Ping (苹) are round, about one cun wide. There is a spot underneath the leaf, resembling foam. Also known as Cai (菜). Dried, it can be used medicinally. The small duckweed is the kind found in ditches.
Yu Xi notes: The *Erya* states: "Duckweed is [character]. The large ones are called Ping (苹)." Furthermore, the *Book of Songs* says: "Where to gather Ping? By the stream bank." Lu Ji's commentary states: The coarse/large ones are called Ping (苹), the small ones are called Ping (萍). They begin to grow in late spring. They can be mixed with flour and steamed as food, or pickled in sour wine. Currently, physicians rarely use this specific Ping (苹), using only the small floating duckweed instead.
Li Shizhen says: Ping (苹) is the Four-Leaf Vegetable. Its leaves float on the water surface, and its roots connect to the bottom. Its stems are thinner than those of [character] and Xing. The leaves are as large as a fingertip, green on the upper surface and purple on the lower, with fine veins, somewhat resembling the leaves of Cassia obtusifolia (Ma Ti Jue Ming). Four leaves combine into one, forming a cross in the center. Small white flowers bloom in summer and autumn, hence it is called Bai Ping (White Ping). Its leaves cluster like duckweed, which is why the *Erya* refers to the large variety as Ping (苹). The *Lüshi Chunqiu* states: "Among delicious vegetables, there is the Ping of Kunlun." This refers to this plant. The *Han Shi Waizhuan* states that what floats is [character], and what sinks is Ping (苹). Xian Xian states: Those with white flowers are Ping (苹), those with yellow flowers are Xing (荇), which is also Jinlian (Golden Lotus). Su Gong states: The large ones are Ping (苹), the small ones are Xing (荇). Yang Shen's *Zhiyan* states that the Four-Leaf Vegetable is Xing. Tao Hongjing states that what the King of Chu obtained was Ping (苹). None of these statements are definitive. This is likely because they did not observe closely, relying merely on speculation from texts. I, Li Shizhen, collected and examined them one by one, and grasped their true nature. The leaves are one to two cun in diameter; those with one notch and rounded like a horse hoof are [character]. Those similar to [character] but slightly sharper and longer are Xing. Their flowers come in both yellow and white varieties. Leaves four to five cun in diameter, resembling small lotus leaves, flowering yellow, and bearing fruit resembling small glutinous rice dumplings, are Pengpeng Cao (Pongpon Grass). The "Ping Shi" (Duckweed Fruit) obtained by the King of Chu is the fruit of this Pengpeng Cao. Four leaves combining into one, shaped like the character 'field' (田), are Ping (苹). Such distinction makes it naturally clear. Additionally, Mr. Xiang stated: White Ping grows in water, Green Ping grows on land. According to current knowledge, Tianzi Cao (Field-Character Grass) has aquatic and terrestrial varieties. The terrestrial variety often grows in damp, muddy areas of rice fields. Its four leaves unite, identical to White Ping. However, the stems grow above ground, three to four cun high, and are inedible. Alchemists use it to calcine sulfur, condense cinnabar, and boil mercury, calling it Shuitian Weng (Water Field Old Man). The "Green Ping" mentioned by Mr. Xiang is likely this. Some mistake Green Ping for aquatic grass, which is an error.
[Flavor and Properties] Sweet, Cold, Slippery, Non-toxic.
[Therapeutic Actions] Treats sudden high fever, directs downward rebellious water qi, promotes urination (from *Wu Pu*). Crushed and applied externally treats hot sores. Juice drunk internally treats snake venom that has entered the abdomen. Dried and powdered equally with Trichosanthis Fructus (Gualou), formed into pills with human milk and taken orally, stops Xiao Ke (Wasting-Thirst syndrome) (from Zang Qi). Eating it cures exhaustion/overwork (from *Shan Hai Jing*).