陶隐居云∶方药不复用，俗无识者。《本经》诸家所注不相应，若果是马蔺，则《日
华子》不当更言亦可为菜蔬食。盖马蔺其叶马牛皆不食，为才出土叶已硬，况又无味，岂可
更堪人食也。今不敢以蠡实为马蔺子，更俟博识者。
石香 处处有之，不必山岩石缝中，但山中临水附崖处或有之。九月十月尚有花。
百草中，惟此罔顾冰雪，最先春也，世又谓之钻冻。虽在冰雪之下，至时亦生芽。
春时入或采以代蔬，入药须微见花者良。如已芬芳，则都无力也。今人又多使如箸头者，恐
未有花尔。有人病咳多日，或教以然款冬花三两枚，于无风处，以笔管吸其烟，满口则咽之
。数日效。
用其根上皮。花亦有绯者，如西洛潜溪绯是也。今禁苑又有深碧色者。惟山中单叶花
红者为佳，家 子次之。若移枝接者不堪用，为其花叶既多发，夺根之气也。何以知之？今
千叶牡丹，初春留花稍多，来年花枝并叶便瘦，多是开不成。市人或以枝梗皮售于人，其乖
殊甚。
一名白苑。或者谓为二物，非也。唐删去白苑之条，甚合宜。陶能言，不能指说性状
。余从经中，所说甚明，今直取经。
按《补注》云∶“叶如兰。”今兰叶如麦门冬，稍阔而长，及一二尺无枝梗，殊不与
泽兰相似。泽兰才出土便分枝梗，叶如菊
，但尖长。若取其香嗅，则稍相类。既谓之泽兰，又曰生汝南大泽旁，则其种本别。如兰之
说误矣。
陶弘景说：“现在方药中不再使用，民间也没有认识它的人。”《神农本草经》及各家注解都不相符。如果这真的是马蔺（Iris lactea），那么《日华子诸家本草》就不应当再说它也可以作为蔬菜食用。大概是因为马蔺的叶子，马和牛都不吃，因为它刚出土时叶子就很硬，况且又没有味道，怎么还能让人吃呢？现在我不敢把蠡实当作马蔺子，还要等待见多识广的人来考证。
石香（Shixiang，此处指泽兰的一种别名或相关植物）到处都有，不一定非要在山岩的石缝中，只要是在山中靠近水边、依附悬崖的地方或许就有。九月十月还有花。
百草之中，只有这种植物不顾冰雪，是最先迎来春天的，世人又叫它“钻冻”。即使在冰雪覆盖之下，到了时候也会生出芽来。春天时人们可以采摘它来代替蔬菜，入药必须选用刚刚看到花蕾的才良效。如果已经盛开芬芳，那就完全没有药效了。现在人们又多使用像筷子头那样大小的（植株/花蕾），恐怕是还没有开花吧。有人咳嗽好几天，有人教他用三枚款冬花（Kudzu Flower / Flos Tussilaginis）点燃，在无风的地方，用笔管吸入烟雾，吸满一口就咽下去。几天后见效。
药用它的根上皮。花也有红色的，就像西洛潜溪那种绯红色的一样。现在皇家禁苑里又有深碧色的品种。只有山中单叶红花的是佳品，家种的次之。如果是通过移栽枝条嫁接而成的就不能使用，因为花叶过多会掠夺根部的元气。怎么知道的呢？现在的千叶牡丹，初春保留的花稍多，来年花枝和叶子就会瘦弱，大多开不成花。市井之人有时拿枝条梗皮卖给人，那差别就非常大了。
白苑（Baiyuan，此处指另一种植物，作者认为与石香不同）是它的另一个名字。有的人认为这是两种植物，是不对的。唐代删去了白苑的条目，是非常合适的。陶弘景能说出名字，但不能指出性状特征。我从经典著作中，所说的非常明确，现在直接引用经典原文。
按照《新修本草·补注》说：“叶子像兰草。”现在的兰草叶子像麦门冬（Ophiopogon japonicus），稍微宽而长，有一二尺高而没有枝梗，完全不像泽兰（Eupatorium fortunei）。泽兰刚出土就开始分枝梗，叶子像菊花，只是尖长一些。如果取其香气闻，则稍微相似。既然叫它泽兰，又说生长在汝南的大泽旁边，那么它的种类本来是不同的。说是像兰草的说法是错误的。
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.