味苦，寒，无毒。主五脏邪气，厌（于协切）伏也谷胃痹，肠 ，渴热中疾，恶疮。久
服安心益气，聪察，少卧，轻身耐老，耐饥寒，高气不老。一名荼草，一名选，一名游冬。
生益州川谷，山陵道旁，凌冬不死。三月三日采，阴干。
陶隐居云∶疑此即是今茗。茗一名荼，又令人不眠，亦凌冬不凋，而嫌其只生益州。益
州乃
有苦菜，正是苦 （音式）尔。上卷上品白英下已注之。《桐君录》云∶苦菜，三月生扶疏，
六月花从叶出，茎直黄，八月实黑；实落根复生，冬不枯。今茗极似此，西阳、武昌及庐江
、晋熙皆好，东人正作青茗。茗皆有 ，饮之宜人。凡所饮物，有茗及木叶、天门冬苗，并
菝，皆益人，余物并冷利。又巴东间别有真茶，火 作卷结，为饮亦令人不眠，恐或者此
。俗中多煮檀叶及大皂李作茶，并冷。又南方∶有瓜芦木，亦似茗，苦涩。取其叶作屑，煮
饮汁，即通夜不睡。煮盐人唯资此饮，而交、广最所重，客来先设，乃加以香 （音耄）辈。
唐
谁谓荼苦。又云∶堇荼如饴，皆苦菜异名也。陶谓之茗，茗乃木
类，殊非菜流。茗，春采为苦荼。音迟遐反，非途音也。按∶《尔雅》释草云∶荼，苦菜。
释木云∶ 、苦荼，二物全别，不得为例。又《颜氏家训》按《易通卦验玄图》曰∶苦菜，
生
乃成。一名游冬。叶似苦苣而细，断之有白汁，花黄似菊。此则与
桐君略同，今所在有之。苦 乃龙葵尔，俗亦名苦菜，非荼也。臣禹锡等谨按蜀本图经云
∶春花夏实，至秋复生，花而不实，经冬不凋。陈藏器云∶苦 ，味苦，寒，有小毒。捣叶
敷
小儿闪癖，煮汁服，去暴热目黄，秘塞。叶极似龙葵，但龙葵子无壳，苦 子有壳，苏云是
龙葵，误也。人亦呼为小苦耽。崔豹《古今注》云∶苦 ，一名 子，有实形如皮弁，子圆
如珠。
月令王瓜生，苦菜秀。
衍义曰∶苦菜，四方∶皆有，在北道则冬方∶雕毙，生南方∶则冬夏常青。此《月令》
小满
节后，所谓苦菜秀者是此。叶如苦苣，更狭，其绿色差淡，折之白乳汁出，常常点瘊子，自
落。味苦，
花与野菊相似，春、夏、秋皆旋开花。去中热，安心神。
味苦，性寒，无毒。主治五脏邪气，厌食（于协切）及胃中痞塞、肠道闭结、消渴热病、恶疮。长期服用可安心益气，使耳目聪敏，减少睡眠，身体轻健，延缓衰老，耐饥耐寒，气息高扬而不老。又名荼草，又名选，又名游冬。生长在益州的川谷、山陵和道路旁，经历冬天也不枯死。三月三日采收，阴干。
陶隐居说：怀疑这就是现在的茶。茶又名荼，又让人不睡觉，也经历冬天不凋谢，但嫌弃它只生长在益州。益州确实有苦菜，正是苦莕（音式）。上卷上品白英下已经注过。《桐君录》说：苦菜，三月生长枝叶繁茂，六月花朵从叶间长出，茎直立呈黄色，八月果实变黑；果实落下后根部重新生长，冬天不枯萎。现在的茶极像这个，西阳、武昌及庐江、晋熙等地都喜欢，东边的人正制作青茶。茶都有香气，饮用对人适宜。凡是饮用的东西，有茶及木叶、天门冬苗，还有菝葜，都对人有益，其余物品都偏冷利。另外巴东地区别有真正的茶，用火烤制成卷结状，作为饮料也让人不睡觉，恐怕或许就是这个。俗人中多煮檀叶和大皂李作茶，性质都偏冷。另外南方：有瓜芦木，也像茶，味道苦涩。取它的叶子做成碎屑，煮水饮用，就会通宵不睡。煮盐人只依靠这种饮料，而交州、广州最重视它，客人来了先摆设，再加上香耄（音耄）之类。唐谁谓荼苦。又说：堇荼如饴，都是苦菜的异名。陶隐居称之为茗，茗属于木类，完全不是菜流。茗，春天采摘为苦荼。读音为迟遐反，不是途音。按：《尔雅》释草说：荼，是苦菜。释木说：荈、苦荼，这两种物完全不同，不能以此为例。又《颜氏家训》按《易通卦验玄图》说：苦菜，生在……然后成。又名游冬。叶子像苦苣但较细，折断后有白色汁液，花黄像菊花。这与桐君所述大致相同，现在各地都有。苦莕就是龙葵，俗人也叫苦菜，不是荼。臣禹锡等谨按蜀本图经说：春花夏实，到秋天又生，开花不结果，经过冬天不凋谢。陈藏器说：苦莕，味苦，性寒，有小毒。捣烂叶子敷治小儿闪癖，煮汁服用，去除暴热目黄、便秘。叶子极像龙葵，只是龙葵子没有壳，苦莕子有壳，苏恭说是龙葵，是错误的。人们也叫它小苦耽。崔豹《古今注》说：苦莕，一名葶苈子，有果实形状像皮弁，子圆如珠。月令王瓜生，苦菜秀。
衍义说：苦菜，四方都有，在北道则冬天凋零死亡，生在南方则冬夏常青。这是《月令》小满节后，所谓苦菜秀的是指这个。叶子像苦苣，更窄，绿色稍淡，折断有白色乳汁流出，常常点瘊子，自然脱落。味苦，花与野菊相似，春、夏、秋都陆续开花。去除中焦热，安心神。
Bitter in taste, cold in nature, non-toxic. It primarily treats evil qi in the five zang organs, anorexia (pronounced yú xié qiē) and gastric obstruction, intestinal constipation, heat-induced polydipsia, and malignant sores. Long-term consumption calms the mind, supplements qi, sharpens hearing and vision, reduces sleep, lightens the body, delays aging, increases tolerance to hunger and cold, and maintains high vitality without aging. Also known as Tú Cǎo (Tea Grass), Xuǎn, and Yóu Dōng. It grows in the river valleys, hills, and along roadsides of Yìzhōu, surviving through winter without withering. Harvested on the third day of the third lunar month, dried in the shade.
Táo Yǐnjū states: I suspect this is actually tea (Míng). Tea is also called Tú, and it keeps one awake; it also survives winter without withering, but I hesitate because it supposedly only grows in Yìzhōu. Yìzhōu indeed has bitter vegetables, which are precisely Kǔ Shì (pronounced shì). This was already noted under Bai Yīng (White Herb) in the upper volume, superior grade. The *Tóng Jūn Lù* states: Bitter vegetable grows luxuriantly in March, flowers emerge from leaves in June, stems stand upright and yellow, fruits turn black in August; after fruits fall, roots regenerate, remaining un-withered in winter. Current tea resembles this greatly; Xīyáng, Wǔchāng, Lújiāng, and Jīnxī all favor it, while people in the east produce green tea. Tea possesses fragrance and is beneficial for drinking. Among all beverages, tea, Mu Ye (Wood Leaves), Tiān Mén Dōng Miáo (Asparagus Fern Shoots), and Bá Qiā (Smilax Glabra Rhizome) are beneficial to humans, whereas others tend to be cold and purgative. Additionally, in Badōng region, there is a true tea, roasted into curled knots, which also induces insomnia; perhaps this is what is meant. Common people often boil Tán Yè (Sandalwood Leaves) and Dà Zào Lǐ (Large Soap Plum) to make tea, both being cold in nature. Furthermore, in the south: there is Guā Lú Mù (Gualu Tree), resembling tea, with a bitter and astringent taste. Its leaves are crushed and boiled for drinking, causing wakefulness throughout the night. Salt makers rely solely on this beverage, and it is highly valued in Jiāozhō and Guǎngzhōu; when guests arrive, it is served first, often accompanied by Xiāng Mào (Fragrant Mao, pronounced mào) and similar items. Tang Shuí said: "Who says Tú is bitter?" Also: "Jǐn and Tú are like maltose," both referring to alternative names for bitter vegetables. Táo referred to it as Míng (Young Tea Leaf), which belongs to the woody category, distinctly different from vegetable types. Míng harvested in spring is called Kǔ Tú. Pronounced chí xiá fǎn, not tú yīn. According to: *Ěr Yǎ* explains grasses saying: Tú is bitter vegetable. Explains trees saying: Chuǎn and Kǔ Tú are two entirely different things, cannot be used as examples. Also, *Yán Shì Jiā Xùn* citing *Yì Tōng Guà Yàn Xuán Tú* states: Bitter vegetable grows... then matures. Also named Yóu Dōng. Leaves resemble Kǔ Jù (Sonchus oleraceus) but are finer; broken stems exude white juice; flowers are yellow like chrysanthemums. This aligns roughly with Tóng Jūn's description and is found everywhere today. Kǔ Shì is Solanum nigrum (Black Nightshade), commonly called bitter vegetable by folk, but it is not Tú. Chen Yuxi et al. carefully note according to Shǔ Běn Tú Jīng: Flowers in spring, fruits in summer, regenerates in autumn, flowers without fruit, does not wither through winter. Chén Cángxì states: Kǔ Shì, bitter taste, cold nature, slightly toxic. Crushed leaves applied externally treat pediatric muscle spasms and masses; boiled juice ingested removes acute heat, yellow eyes, and constipation. Leaves closely resemble Solanum nigrum, but Solanum nigrum seeds lack shells, whereas Kǔ Shì seeds have shells; Sū Gōng's claim that it is Solanum nigrum is erroneous. People also call it Xiǎo Kǔ Dān. Cuì Bào's *Gǔ Jīn Zhù* states: Kǔ Shì, also named Tíng Lì Zǐ, has fruits shaped like leather caps, seeds round like pearls. *Yuè Lìng*: Melons grow, bitter vegetables flourish.
*Yǐn Yì* states: Bitter vegetable exists in all four directions; in northern routes, it withers and dies in winter; in the south, it remains evergreen in winter and summer. This refers to the "bitter vegetables flourish" mentioned in *Yuè Lìng* after the Xiǎo Mǎn solar term. Leaves resemble Kǔ Jù but are narrower, with a lighter green color; broken stems exude white latex, which can be used to apply to warts, causing them to fall off naturally. Bitter in taste, flowers resemble wild chrysanthemum, blooming successively in spring, summer, and autumn. Clears heat in the middle jiao, calms the mind spirit.